


A PRINCE IN THE MIDDLE OF A GLOOMY FOREST

by BellaGracie



Category: The Hunger Games
Genre: Angst, Counselor to the King Aurelius, Devotion, F/M, Fairy Tale Elements, Fantasy, Flirtatious Peasant Clove, Kidnapping, Peasant Katniss, Prince Peeta, Sorceress Alma, Stockholm Syndrome, Witchcraft, jealous katniss
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:08:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 32
Words: 26,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22484638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BellaGracie/pseuds/BellaGracie
Summary: Started out as a one-shot, honestly. I have 26 chapters that I'm more or less happy with. I wanted to develop the scenes of Katniss and Peeta in the Castle more, because that's really the heart of the story: what happens when Peeta is restored to his rightful place as Prince.
Relationships: Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark
Comments: 34
Kudos: 44





	1. THE FOREST

Once upon a time, a peasant family named Everdeen lived at the edge of a gloomy forest. The father was a woodcutter, the mother stayed at home and tended to her two young daughters, and everything was right as could be in their world.

Until one day, it wasn't.

The father died.

How did he die? A tree fell on him. Or he fell into a bog by accident. Or he was sickened by overwork.

Anyway, he died, and that's the important thing.

The mother wrung her hands and didn't know what to do. "Oh Eldest daughter," the mother said, looking at Katniss, who was 15 but younger and more simple than other 15-year-olds were like in that day and age. She had known no companions other than her parents and her sister, for her entire life. Now, the mother said that Katniss would have to chop wood, and would have to take her father's bow and arrow and learn how to shoot prey, and that she would furthermore have to make weekly trips to the village market to see what coin she could get for her firewood and whatever game she managed to catch (and kill). In an instant, life became completely upside down for Katniss.

But Katniss said she would do everything according to her mother's instructions, for she was abrave girl. And furthermore, her younger sister Prim was only nine. And if Katniss didn't step up, Prim would surely die. She was a very delicate nine-year-old, whose soft hands had never done a lick of work, not even assisting with the chopping of vegetables or the feeding of a few chickens and geese (They did have a few chickens and geese)

One day, during the hottest part of the summer, Katniss was returning from the market, a few meager coins in the pocket of her apron, when she saw an inviting tree with a wide patch of shade, and decided she would just lie under it for a little while, and maybe close her eyes, and remember a time when her father was still alive.

So Katniss went and lay down under the tree.

And she slept and slept and slept and slept.

And by the time she awoke, everything around her was bathed in gloom, for night had fallen. The forest looked different at night (Katniss had never been allowed in the forest at night, not even when her father was still alive). She ran here and there, calling out frantically "Mama! Mama! Mama!" But there was no reply.

Without knowing it, she was going deeper and deeper into the forest. She saw shadows (and demons) everywhere. Brambles tore at her face and at her clothes, and yet she ran, fearing that if she were to stop moving, she would surely become the prey of some wicked forest creature.

Suddenly, she stopped running because there was something blocking her path. Her heart began to beat very loud. The thing, though, was not alive (luckily). It turned out to be a huge pile of brambles. Through the brambles, Katniss thought she spied a light. Her spirits rose, thinking: There surely must be people living where that light is coming from! And maybe they can help me find my way home!

With great determination, she hacked at the brambles until she made a little opening, and then she squeezed through. Great was her surprise when she found herself in front of a snug little cottage.

The cottage roof was made of turf, and smoke was coming out of the chimney. She could smell the most delicious smell: the smell of bread just pulled from the oven. Abandoning her usual caution, she came forward and knocked smartly on the cottage door.

Silence.

She lifted her hand and knocked again. Louder, this time.

She heard a soft, tremulous voice cry: "Who is there?"

"Please!" she said. "I am a peasant girl, who was on her way home from the market. I fell asleep under a tree, and when I awoke it was night, and I lost my way. Could I rest here for the night?"

There was a creaking sound, as if someone was getting up from a chair. Finally, the door was pulled open, and through it Katniss saw a boy. A boy her age -- no, perhaps slightly older. He wore a finely made tunic that hung partly out of his trousers, clearly he had been taken unawares. Shecould tell that his shoulders were broad, his hips slim. His hair was the gold of honey, and his jaw was firm and defined. His Adam's apple bobbed nervously beneath his pale throat, and his eyes! They were fixed intently on hers, and seemed to contain storms of emotion.

"I am very sorry to disturb you, sir," Katniss began, with as much humility as she could muster. The boy, she guessed, must be a lord (judging from the quality of his clothing), and this was his forest lodge (She had heard that sometimes lords liked to keep a separate residence, away from the prying eyes of their families and servants. But why any lord would choose such a humble residence, and in the middle of a forest, was quite beyond her). "If I could just stay here for the night. For it is dark and I cannot see my way out of the forest."

The boy gaped at her, simply astonished.


	2. THE MYSTERY OF THE PRINCE

After a while, the boy -- Lord, she reminded herself -- moved aside so that she could slip inside the door. Katniss heaved a huge sigh of relief. That relief drained from her, however, when she looked at the boy. He seemed consumed by anxiety, his hands running through his hair, fingers catching on knots in his heavy curls. She was frozen in shock when the Lord raised a finger and traced it down her cheek.

“What happened to you?” he said, softly.

Katniss suddenly remembered the brambles that tore at her skin and clothing. The boy's finger had a trace of red on it. Was she bleeding?

She raised a trembling hand and felt the wetness on her cheek.

"Were you attacked?" the Lord said, his eyes moving to the door.

"No!" Katniss says. "Brambles. There's a wall of brambles blocking the way to the cottage. I guess you had them put there? For protection?"

The Lord looked at her silently, then shook his head. He quickly moved to the door and raised a heavy bolt to bar it. Now Katniss was really anxious, every nerve tingling. Who was this Lord? Could she really trust him? He seemed innocent. Had he never had a woman before -- ? But how could that be -- ? He seemed about her age, or perhaps a year older: 17 or thereabouts. Surely he had lain with women by now.

After, the Lord indicated a chair by the fire. There was only one chair, so Katniss was reluctant to take it. It was the Lord's chair. He should sit on it.

She noted how plain the furnishings were: clearly, the cottage had not been intended for the receiving of company. On a long wooden table were set three candles. There was another candle on a small table in a corner, next to the bed. This table was piled high with books.

Katniss stammered, "I – I beg pardon, Lord, for disturbing you. But let me stay the night, and I shall be off by first light. Do you have a pile of straw somewhere? Perhaps an old blanket -- "

"You may have my bed," the Lord said, gesturing vaguely.

Katniss's face grew red as a beet. "Oh!" she cried. "I would never dream -- !"

"No, you take it," the Lord said calmly. "You need the rest more than I do. All I do is paint. And read. And talk to myself. Have you eaten? There's some soup left. I make a really good soup. From what SHE brings me." Abruptly, he stopped.

"She?" Katniss wondered. "Your mother?"

"No," the Lord said. He turned away. "We should clean your face."

Katniss was more confused than ever but decided not to ask him any more questions. She didn’t want to upset him, and from the way his face darkened when he mentioned SHE, he was probably unhappy about something.

"I – I am deeply sorry to trouble you," Katniss said.

"No!" the Lord said. "You are no trouble. You need help. I can help you. There's no trouble in that."

Katniss's shoulders slumped in relief. "Thank you," she murmured. And yet, she still did not trust him completely. 

She remained standing while the boy went to a cupboard and removed a clean linen shirt. He had a jug of water on the table and was about to dip the shirt in it when Katniss stopped him. "That is a fine shirt, my Lord," she said. "Don't you have a dishrag, some old thing . . . "

The Lord ignored her and dipped his shirt into the jug of water. Katniss decided not to argue. She stood there mutely as the Lord approached then gently touched her cheek. He was half a head taller, and she had to lift her face. With his left hand, he cupped her chin.

His fingers – they were so warm! His eyes, they were so intent! Katniss's heart began to pound.

What was this? Why was he so tender with her? She was afraid again.

He stopped and looked at her. "I am NOT going to hurt you," he said.

And somehow, Katniss believed him. She let him clean her face with his fine linen shirt, feeling as if she had landed in the midst of some fairy tale.


	3. THE PRINCE WITH NO MEMORIES

Katniss knew very little about local nobility.

There was a castle on a hill overlooking the nearest town. The castle had a King, but no Queen. The King had lost his wife in childbirth. The child was a boy. The King was so overwhelmed by his grief that he shut himself up in his castle, so no one in the kingdom ever saw him.

Even people who worked in the castle had nothing to say about the Prince. He was probably in his late teens now, and should be thinking of making a match. There should have been noble ladies arriving from near and far, showing off their beauty and suitability to be the heir's noble wife. But Katniss could only remember a handful of such visits, and there had not been any for at least the past five years.

She thought all of this while the strange Lord cleaned her face. Now that he was so close, Katniss could take in his scent, and it was a sweet scent of cleanliness and health, and also a hint of something warm and spicy. Never having been near any members of the nobility before, she could not say whether these smells were what nobility commonly smelled like, but coming from this boy, she found them almost overpowering. At the same time, she felt deeply embarrassed over her own scent, which was of sweat and blood and tears.

"Who are you?" Katniss asked, wonderingly. She had never met a Lord who behaved like this, so kind and humble.

He gave her face a few more gentle wipes, then put the cloth down. "I am Peeta.”

"Peeta," Katniss said to herself. It was a curious name. "And how came you to be here?" she asked. "If I may be so bold as to ask."

Peeta smiled. "I live here. And I have lived here a long time."

“Not since birth!” Katniss burst out, then immediately clapped a hand to her mouth. “Oh! Forgive me, Lord, I am too free with my words.”

“It’s all right,” Peeta said, a small smile on his lips. “I like listening to you. No, I have not lived here since birth. But I have lived here since I was very young, and have no memories of any other place.”

"It must be very lonely," Katniss remarked.

Peeta took a step back and shook his head. "I did not know I was lonely. Until now. You."

Katniss felt her face heating. This Lord was very direct! He might turn out to be evil, after all. She looked away from him and cast her eyes on the floor.

Peeta continued, "Must you leave tomorrow?"

"I must," Katniss said. "My mother and sister need me."

"Oh!" Peeta said, nodding, as if it were suddenly perfectly clear. "Where do they live?"

"Right at the edge of the forest," Katiss said. "My father was a woodcutter, but he passed long ago. I provide for my mother and younger sister, for before he died, my father taught me to hunt.” She bit her lip and her eyes fell. “I am sure they are beside themselves with worry. I should have been home long ago."

"Is it selfish of me?" Peeta said, softly. "I thank heaven you were lost and found me."

"Found you!" Katniss said. "What need have you to be found? Were YOU lost?"

Peeta hesitated. He took a deep breath, then said, "Yes, I think I HAVE been lost. For many years. Too many." His face darkened. Katniss found the sudden change that came over his features quite remarkable.

"Who are your parents?" Katniss asked. "Surely they looked for you?"

"No one looked for me," Peeta said. "Because if they looked, they would have found me."

At this, he looked so sad that Katniss’s heart broke a little.

"Of course they looked for you," Katniss said. "If you had parents, they would have gone to the ends of the earth to look for you."

Peeta sighed deeply. "That is a story from a tale."

"No," Katniss said firmly. "Parents love their children. They would do anything to keep them safe. My father loved me until he died. My mother loves me. Parents cannot help loving their children, and wanting to protect them."

"I have no one," Peeta said, still with that hard look on his face.

"That's not true," Katniss said hotly. She wanted to say, You are so beautiful. No one could possibly forget about you. Instead, she said, “Your parents must be going mad with grief, not knowing where you are. And if it is true as you say that you have been here for many years, it is time you went looking for them.”

Peeta still looked melancholy. "Who brought you here, my Lord?" she asked.

"I am not a Lord," Peeta almost growled at her. "I have told you: My name is Peeta."

Katniss did not know where she found the courage to say what she said next. Clenching her fists and raising her voice, she said: "I know you are a Lord. Even if you did not grow up in a castle. And your parents, who no doubt are still alive, will be overjoyed to see you again. And you shall be restored to your rightful place by their side.”


	4. A WOMAN

"How did you come by these books, My L -- I mean, Peeta?" Katniss asked, her face reddening considerably. She wasn't used to such a familiar form of address when in the presence of someone so clearly her superior.

"A woman,” Peeta said.

That woman again! Katniss thought. “You say she is not your mother – “

“She is a friend,” Peeta said, his manner now abrupt and cold.

Katniss now had an Evil Thought, but she pushed it out of her mind. “You do not remember your parents?”

“No,” Peeta said. “As I told you, I was brought here very young.”

“But you must have some memories of your family,” Katniss said. “For I know you do have a family, Peeta.”

“I -- I don't know," Peeta said, his hand coming up to rub the back of his neck. "All I know is, she – the woman -- has been my only company, these many years."

“Oh!” She did not know why, but this information troubled her deeply.

"I really don't remember," Peeta said, shrugging.

Katniss frowned. "Was she an aunt, perhaps?"

"No!" Peeta said quickly. Then, it was his turn to blush.

Katniss looked pensively at him. Why did he seem disturbed every time he mentioned HER? If she wasn't his mother, then who was she? Katniss paled. Could she be a witch? Was that it?

"You're trembling," Peeta said.

"I am a little cold," Katniss lied.

"Come by the fire," Peeta said, stretching out a hand, as if to lead her.

Katniss didn't take it. It never did a peasant good to get too close to a Lord. Especially a Lord who looked like Peeta. He was so handsome! She was sure he would have all the noble ladies in the kingdom eating out of his hand. Which made it all the more confusing that he was here, in this humble cottage, which was more fit for a woodsman than a Lord.

Ignoring Peeta's outstretched hand, she moved to the fire then sank down gratefully upon the stone hearth. "That's a good fire," she observed. It's a fire like her father would have made. But of course, her father was a woodcutter. He knew everything about wood, and fire. Peeta, on the other hand, was a Lord. How had he learned to make such a good fire? Unless -- unless -- her head whipped around quickly to the door. What was that sound? Was someone knocking?

Peeta followed her gaze. "Don't worry," he said reassuringly. "She will not come tonight. You're quite safe."

Katniss frowned again. Who was that woman? She couldn't be very nice, if she left Peeta all alone here. More than ever, Katniss was sure the woman was a witch.

Her stomach gave a loud rumble. She looked up quickly, ready to apologize for her uncouth manners, but when she saw Peeta's face, he didn't look repulsed. If anything, he looked amused.

"I have some soup," he said.

"Thank you," Katniss said. "But I do not like to put you to so much trouble. Will SHE not mind?"

This time, Peeta didn't answer. She saw him go to a large pot that rested on a sturdy wood table. Lifting the cover of the pot, he dipped in a large ladle. The smell that arose was -- otherworldly. She was sure there was meat in that pot. Not squirrel meat, real meat. Perhaps rabbit, or even beef. Her family hadn't had meat to eat in a long time, not since her father passed.

Peeta filled a large bowl and walked it over carefully to her. Katniss accepted it gratefully. She put the bowl to her lips -- Peeta then cried, "Forgive me, I should have given you a spoon!"

Katniss gaped. He ate soup WITH A SPOON? Her family had no cutlery. They sipped their soup straight from the bowl.

Peeta had risen and was searching in the cupboard. He pulled out something beautiful and silver, and handed it solemnly to Katniss. Looking down at the object, Katniss noticed that there were carvings on the handle: there was a lion, a mighty lion, the same one that was on the crest of the King, the one that flew on the banners on the turrets of the castle. Katniss gasped. "You are a prince!" she cried.

Peeta frowned at her. "I am not."

"You are!" Katniss said. "The spoon has the King's Lion. I would recognize it anywhere."

"But I don't have a father," Peeta said. "She told me my parents were dead."

Katniss frowned. “Only royalty would have a spoon like this. There is something she is not telling you.”

Peeta’s faced had gone very pale. “She – she must have been gifted it. I am sure she did not steal it.”

Katniss nodded solemnly. “But – why bring it here? For your use?”

Peeta shrugged. The more Katniss looked at him, the more it struck her that he resembled the King. Of course, no one had seen the King in such a long time, but Katniss remembered the days of her early childhood, when the King still went out and about. The King had been handsome: blue-eyed and golden-haired, just like Peeta.

Peeta stood. Katniss didn't like the expression she saw on his face. He seemed angry. "Why do you keep insisting that I'm a noble? I told you, my name is Peeta. I have no parents, they died. A long time ago. My only family is -- and even then, not really -- HER. If not for her, I would be dead. That is all I know."

"What has she done to you?" Katniss murmured, deeply anxious.

"What has SHE done to ME?" Peeta scoffed. He still had that angry look on his face. "Why, nothing. Only, if I am bad, she may use that rope you see there in the corner."

Katniss turned her head to follow where his finger pointed. Indeed, there was a rope. A very thick, sturdy rope.

"Does she beat you?" Katniss almost hissed. She didn't know why she felt so protective of Peeta, a boy who was older and bigger than herself, who surely would be able to defend himself against a woman?

UNLESS I AM RIGHT AND THE WOMAN IS A WITCH, Katniss thought.

"No," Peeta said. "She doesn't beat me. She ties my hands, sometimes my feet as well." He started rubbing his hands together. The sleeves of his tunic rode up a little, and Katniss glimpsed deep, angry welts across both wrists.

At the sight of the welts, Katniss was moved to tears. "You must get away from her," she told Peeta.

Peeta gaped.

Katniss put the bowl of soup aside, her hunger quite forgotten. She approached Peeta and gently took his hand. "Don't be afraid."

Peeta shook his head. "I can't leave," he said.

"Why not?" Katniss asked. "Don't you want to be with other people?"

Peeta shook his head. "Not really, no."

"Why not?" Katniss said, confused. Then, it hit her: HE IS UNDER A SPELL.

"I'm not leaving you here, Peeta," Katniss said.

Peeta looked like he might be sick.

Katniss continued, trying to make her voice as soothing as possible, "We don't have much, but you can stay with us for a while. If you like. And then we should send word to your proper family."

After a few agonizingly long moments, Peeta nodded. Katniss let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.


	5. FEELING RESPONSIBLE FOR PEETA

"Are -- are you sure?" Peeta whispered. He looked like he might bolt any second. Katniss didn't know why she felt so attached to this strange boy (No, not boy -- LORD, she reminded herself), why she felt responsible. Maybe it was because he seemed so sad. And those welts on his wrists -- he probably had those on his ankles, too. She hated this mysterious woman.

"Let's bring the rope," Katniss whispered. WHY WAS SHE WHISPERING? “And the spoon.” It might prove useful in discovering Peeta’s true identity.

Even though he looked thoroughly frightened, Peeta nodded. Katniss’s mind raced. What would they do for food? She shrugged that concern off. She knew how to hunt. She had her father’s bow. They need not worry about food.

Only when Katniss moved to the corner for the rope did she realize that she was still gripping Peeta’s hand, as if she worried he might run off at any moment. She released her grip and found that he seemed as reluctant to let go as she was.

When Katniss picked up the rope, Peeta averted his eyes.

Katniss tied the rope around her waist – it was ridiculously heavy, but she did not like to suggest tying it around Peeta, it seemed to unnerve him so. She looked around the cottage for something else they might need. "Do you have an axe?" They would need something with which to hack at the brambles.

Peeta shook his head.

"A knife?" Katniss asked.

Again Peeta shook his head.

Katniss sighed. "You have a fork?"

Peeta nodded. "Let's bring it. And the ladle -- " She thought she might be going mad. What use could a fork and ladle be against a forest of brambles? And a powerful witch?

"I have some herbs," Peeta said. "I like to cook, and SHE started bringing some. I have garlic, and onions. Some cinnamon. And black pepper. Basil . . . "

Now he was babbling. "And I have a mirror -- "

"But how will we carry everything?" Katniss said.

"The blanket," Peeta said, gesturing to the bed.

He went to the bed, knotted three ends of the blanket, then went to the cupboard. He took out a fork, then added the spoon, and the ladle he'd just used for the soup. Also, the small mirror he mentioned, which hung on the wall next to his bed. Katniss could cry. He seemed to find these little objects so precious.

Finally, he turned his attention to the pile of books by his bed. “Oh,” he said.

“You could perhaps bring one. Or two,” Katniss said, gently.

Peeta took a deep breath, then shook his head. “No,” he said. “I expect I won’t have time for reading, out there. Not anymore.”

Last, he began collecting small jars of herbs.

"Hurry," she whispered.

"I told you, she doesn't come this late."

Exasperated, Katniss said, "SHE always comes at the same time?"

Peeta stopped and lowered his gaze. "Yes."

Ugh. To think this Lord had spent years in this tiny cottage, with only that woman for company.

"She's really not that bad," Peeta said.

Hmm. Katniss motioned him to be silent. She took his hand again, and they moved quickly toward the door. Peeta cast a glance behind him at the cottage, the fire still burning merrily. Katniss tugged at his hand and he followed her obediently.

Outside, the night seemed enormous. And alive. As if it were just holding its breath. Why were Peeta's footsteps so loud? Katniss moved with the stealthiness of a forest creature. But Peeta walked heavily.

Suddenly he stopped and stared at something. Katniss followed his gaze and her mouth dropped open. The thick hedge of brambles seemed to have doubled in size. The brambles stretched toward the velvet night sky, almost obliterating the stars.

Katniss took a deep breath. "I came through this way," she said, urging Peeta forward. But, she was so nervous she couldn't remember where she had cut through, earlier. She closed her eyes while she tried to collect her wits. In her mind, she saw the cottage, her first glimpse of it. She couldn't see the front door. She must have stumbled across it from the side. Or from the back.

No, not the back, because she clearly remembered seeing squares of light, and the back wall of the cottage didn't have any windows. She must have stumbled through from the side. But which side, right or left? And why was Peeta making so much noise!

"Can you wait while I look for the opening?" she whispered. She hated the very idea of leaving him alone. But he'd slow her down too much. And it might take the whole night to work through the brambles.

Peeta looked troubled. All these years alone, Katniss thought, and suddenly he didn't want her to leave him?

"Are you afraid out here?" she asked.

"Not when I'm with you," he said. "You're so brave. You make me want to be that way, too."

"Peeta," Katniss said. "I don't know what SHE did to you, but for you to have lived so long by yourself -- I'd say you're pretty brave yourself."

"I don't know what's out there," Peeta said. "I don't know if I can live out there. Maybe you should just leave me here."

"No!" Katniss said. "It's too late for that, Peeta. You're coming with me. No matter what." She took firm hold of his hand. "Now, if you can just try to be very, very quiet. It might take a while, but I'll find us a way out. I promise." She gave his hand a slight squeeze, and he squeezed back. A jolt ran through Katniss. She turned away quickly, before she could give anything away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's still lots more to go.
> 
> I have about 15 more chapters in the pipeline.
> 
> Lots more twists and turns, some very unexpected. Hang in there, I know what I'm doing.


	6. "YOU'RE BLEEDING AGAIN"

Katniss led Peeta to one side of the bramble barrier. She hoped she could find an opening -- any opening. Surely she couldn't be the only person to have made it through? The thorns pricked her fingers and arms.

"Stop," Peeta said after a while. "My turn."

"No. Stay back."

"Katniss," Peeta said. The firmness in his voice surprised her. He stepped in front of her. "You can't do all the work. Besides, you're bleeding again."

Katniss shook her head stubbornly. "We have to get out of here, Peeta. We HAVE to. We don't have much time."

Peeta put a hand on her arm. It set her skin tingling. "Rest. I'll take over for now."

Katniss looked at him. "I don't understand . . . this, any of it. Who put this here? It's not natural. A wall of brambles this big, in a forest? And you. The cottage. This woman. She's a witch, isn't she?"

Peeta shook his head. "She's not a witch. She's just – a friend, as I said."

"But why -- why does she keep you here? Why is she so cruel?"

Peeta lowered his head. "I think it has something to do with, umm --" His voice died.

Katniss felt both hot and cold. "With what?"

"With, well, me." He looked straight into her eyes, his own filled with shame.

Gradual understanding dawned on Katniss. "Oh. You. And she. The bed -- " She felt she was going to be sick.

"It's fine," Peeta said. "I didn't like it, but after a while I appreciated the company."

"You were her prisoner, Peeta. Don't make excuses for her."

"I'm not," Peeta said. "But that's just the way it was between us."

"You said," Katniss said, taking a deep breath, "You said sometimes she used the rope."

"Well, sometimes I didn't want to. Honestly, the first time, I didn't know what she wanted."

"But -- " Katniss reached out and took one of Peeta's wrists. "These don't look that old." Peeta yanked his arm back. "Those were from months ago."

"Why?" Katniss asked. "What did you do?"

"I kept begging her to let me go. I don't know. I thought I could do it while she was sleeping. But -- I should have known better. She heard me and woke up."

"And that's also when she put up the wall of brambles?"

"No," Peeta said. "The brambles were always here. Or at least, they've been here as long as I can remember."

"And you never tried to go through, or over?" Katniss asked.

Peeta shrugged. "I might have, in the beginning. But I realized it was hopeless."

"It's NOT hopeless," Katniss said. "There must be a way. A secret passage, known only to her. We have to find it. Come on, let's keep trying."

She and Peeta continued to probe the perimeter of brambles.


	7. TO FIGHT

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BIG MAGIC in this chapter. And Alma.

Hours later, Katniss and Peeta were no closer to finding a way through the brambles. They'd tried one side, then the other. Could the brambles have grown back since she fought her way through? They must be the product of a powerful magic. ENCHANTED BRAMBLES! Who would have thought?

Katniss sank to the ground, soaked in sweat. Peeta sank down beside her. For a while, they were too discouraged to speak.

Katniss wasn't sure, but she thought it must be close to dawn. SHE was coming, and Peeta would never be able to leave.

"Peeta," she whispered. "If she comes, and I'm still able to, I'm going to fight."

"What do you mean?" Peeta said.

"I mean," Katniss said, in a voice of firm resolve, "I'm going to stop her from hurting you. She'll have to go through me to get to you."

He was silent for a few moments. Then he said, "Do you really mean that?"

"Yes," Katniss said. "I swear, she will never hurt you again."

“Katniss, how are you so brave?” Peeta whispered.

“I’m not brave, but I know what’s right. And what SHE did to you isn’t right,” Katniss declared stoutly.

They were both silent for a few beats. Then Katniss stood. "We have to keep trying. If you remember anything about her visits, anything that might help, tell me, okay? Like, maybe if you remember her using a magic spell . . . “

Peeta closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, they were full of pain. "I'm sorry, Katniss," he said. "I'm sorry I can't be of more help. I don’t remember. She never did anything – witch-y – like that. Not in front of me, anyway.”

"Don't be sorry," Katniss said. "Let’s just try and get out of here."

Peeta stood. "I'll fight her. I won't let her touch me. She -- she'll have to kill me."

A chill passed through Katniss. "She won't."

"I want you to leave, Katniss," Peeta said.

"What?" Katniss said. "Why?"

"Because you can't get me out. But you can get yourself out."

"Peeta, I am NOT leaving you," Katniss said fiercely. She took his hand. "No matter what."

That was when they heard the sound. Peeta began to tremble. He tried to pull his hand out of Katniss’s grasp but she was holding him too tightly. "Run, Katniss," he pleaded with her.

"No," Katniss said.

"What do you think you're doing?" came a woman's voice, high and angry.

At the sound of the voice, the hair on Katniss’s arms seemed to stand on end. She whirled in the direction of the voice, trying to keep Peeta behind her. Unexpectedly, he gave her a sharp push, and she stumbled.

"That's it, Peeta," came the voice. "Get away from that harlot and come to ME."

"No, Peeta!" Katniss screamed, grabbing blindly at his legs.

Somehow, Peeta sidestepped her grasping fingers. “Hello, Alma,” Peeta said. His voice was eerily calm.

A woman emerged from the shadows.

"Go to the cottage, Peeta," the woman said. "And close the door. I’ll take care of this – hellcat.”

To Katniss’s amazement, Peeta nodded and began to walk toward the cottage. “Noooo,” Katniss moaned. “No, Peeta, what are you doing?”

Peeta came to within a few feet from Katniss, then stopped. He took several deep breaths and clenched his fist. Then, he looked back over his shoulder, at the woman, and said, "You're not coming?"

"I'll follow, don't you worry, sweet boy. But first I need to make sure this -- creature -- never bothers us again."

"She didn't mean to," he said, still in that calm voice. "She got lost."

"Go to the cottage, Peeta!" the woman screamed.

Peeta was about to obey, when Katniss grabbed his arm. “No,” she said. “Don’t do it.” She was quick, like a cat. And, like a cat, she whirled to face the woman, claws out, reaching for the woman's face.

The woman turned, but not quickly enough. Katniss was able to score deep scratches on the woman's cheeks. The woman gasped and cried out in pain -- whether from the scratches on her face, or from something she'd kept long buried in her heart.

"You're wicked!" Katniss cried. "You stole him from his family and made him live here alone. He doesn't like being with you."

"I know what you are," Katniss hissed at the tall woman before her. "You kidnapped Peeta from  
his real parents."

Though Katniss couldn't see the woman's face in the darkness, the woman exuded self-confidence and power. There was also something radiating from her, in waves: anger. No wonder Peeta seemed so thoroughly cowed. She must be beautiful, Katniss thought. Men – all kinds of men – must be throwing themselves at her feet.

"I may only be a peasant," Katniss cried, "but I know what's right!"

The woman laughed raucously. She reached out a powerful hand and grasped Katniss by the neck, her long nails breaking the skin. Katniss heard Peeta gasp.

"Alma!" Peeta cried. "Stop it. Release her."

Alma laughed. "Why, Peeta, have you fallen in love with this creature? With this filthy, ugly peasant?" She shook Katniss as she talked. Katniss scrabbled frantically, but her arms weren't long enough to reach Alma's face.

Peeta stepped up to Alma and put a cautioning hand on her shoulder. "Don't! You can't kill her. She really was only trying to help."

Alma's grip on Katniss's neck loosened, and Katniss squirmed out of her grasp. She fell on the ground, panting.

"Perhaps she could be of use," Peeta said. "She can hunt."

"The girl has bewitched you, Peeta! What does she have that I don't?" Alma said, sounding hurt.

"She -- " Peeta shook his head. "I don't want her. Perhaps only as a servant."

"I don't believe you!" Alma cried. "You lie almost as well as your father."

There was a long silence. When Peeta spoke again, his voice was cold. "You knew him? You knew my father?"

Alma realized her mistake. Her voice dropped and became sultry and soothing. "No, of course I didn't know your father. Peeta, REALLY."

"I heard you. You said I lie ALMOST AS WELL AS MY FATHER," Peeta said.

"No, you didn't hear right," Alma said. "This girl must be confusing you. I said, ALMOST AS WELL AS MY FATHER."

Peeta thought for a few moments. Finally, he nodded. "I do need a servant," he said.

"Silly boy, you can have your choice of servants. I'll bring you one next time. Two, if you like. But this one -- no, this one's a troublemaker. I don't want her near you."

Peeta threw Katniss a glance. She was on the ground, staring at him with round, piteous eyes. The scratches on her face were bleeding, but her tears had cleared trails down both cheeks. Her neck was starting to turn black-and-blue. She shook her head at him. He walked up to her and extended a hand. She pushed it away.

"Silly girl!" Alma hissed. "You see how she re-pays your kindness, Peeta! What can you expect of an uncouth peasant? I will take your feelings into account, however, because you are so dear to me. I'll spare her life. THIS time."

Alma turned to Katniss. "Let's see, what can I turn you into? A snake? A beetle? A FROG? You can stay with Peeta, I am sure he'd enjoy having a little PET for company."

And with that, Alma snapped her fingers. Suddenly, Katniss felt herself shrinking. Shrinking and shrinking and shrinking. Her clothes puddled around her. The witch was laughing.

Katniss thought: Just let me die.

But then she felt a warm breath waft over her, and felt herself scooped up in someone's hands.

"Don't worry," Peeta whispered to her. "You're safe with me."


	8. SPLAT!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even though things might look pretty bad for Katniss right now, in all true fairy tales, there is a reversal of fortune.
> 
> Stay tuned.

Peeta cradled Katniss tenderly in his hands and deposited her on his pillow. Then he busied himself getting ready for bed. Katniss waited, feeling an almost overwhelming heaviness. That terrible woman! How could Peeta even let that woman touch him? And she had shared his bed – many times! Katniss summoned all her energy and made a feeble hop. SPLAT! She landed on the floor by Peeta's bed and lay motionless, momentarily stunned.

Peeta came back to the bed and didn't see Katniss immediately. In fact, he almost stepped on her.

To tell you the truth, it wouldn't be very easy to see Katniss, because she was a frog. A tiny, green frog with blue-green eyes. She had a long tongue (she knew this because her tongue whipped out, quick as lightning, and snared a wasp) and flat, splayed fingers and toes. She couldn't speak, but her eyes did enough speaking for her. She was so unbearably sad, and Peeta knew this.

"Katniss! Katniss!" Peeta called. Katniss thought, He MUST care for her, even a little bit. He sounded so distressed.

Katniss had to hop here and there to avoid his feet, which kept rushing back and forth. Finally, her movements caught his attention and he stooped to pick her up. "There you are!" he said, sounding so happy. In the next minute, however, he grew dejected. "I'm sorry this has happened to you," he whispered. "It's all my fault."

Katniss blinked. If she could speak, she would have said: YES, IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT.

Peeta stopped, and thought aloud, "What do frogs like to eat, I wonder?"

 _Bugs, stupid_ , Katniss thought.

Peeta suddenly sat up straight and slapped his forehead. "Bugs!" he said. He dashed outside, presumably to try and catch some.

Alone on his pillow, Katniss suddenly felt very lonely. What had happened to her? She didn't want to live out the rest of her days as a frog.

But, she thought, at least the witch hadn't shared Peeta's bed. For a few moments, Katniss felt a sense of triumph. Only for a few moments, however, because all too quickly she remembered that she was a tiny creature now, and if that woman got a whim into her head, she could just squash Katniss easily with her foot. One hard stomp and SPLAT! That would be the end of Katniss.

 _But_ , Katniss thought, _I can hop. I might be a little slow now, but I'm sure I'll get better at it. And there's a lot of places a frog can hide. Like, maybe, in a crease of Peeta's blanket._

She shifted a little. Peeta's bed smelled heavenly. It was so -- PEETA. A clean smell. But masculine, too. (Katniss, You wouldn't know what a man smells like, since the only man you've spent any time with was your father, and he smelled of the woods and sometimes of smoke.)

Katniss thought that was one of the advantages of being a frog. She could sleep in Peeta's bed without making anyone angry.

Peeta returned, dejected. It turned out he wasn't very good at catching wasps. (But of course, he was a Prince by birth. rinces didn't have to know how to catch bugs!) Katniss comforted him by darting her tongue out and catching her second wasp. Peeta's mouth dropped. "You're incredible!" he breathed.

 _Not as incredible as you_ , Katniss thought, then hopped toward him and somehow found a way to burrow under his shirt.

"Hey!" Peeta said, laughing. "That tickles!"

Katniss scrambled to a little hollow just below Peeta's ribs and thought: _Aaaah_!

His hand reached under his shirt. With one finger, he touched the top of her head. In the next moment, Katniss's eyes closed and then she was asleep.

After that first day, they established a routine. Peeta, being so lonely, liked to read. The witch had indulged him by allowing him to have books. She brought a new one every month or so. Peeta had read each book several times. He read aloud to Katniss (Katniss enjoyed best the stories about knights and dragons. Peeta reminded her of a knight. He would kill a dragon one day, she was sure of it). Then he put the book aside, planted a kiss on the top of Katniss's head, and went to sleep. Katniss slept with one eye open. She wanted to be alert in case the witch decided to bother Peeta. But the witch stayed away for a long time.  
  



	9. A BEAUTIFUL CREATURE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So far, my re-write has 21 chapters. It isn't much different from the original, frankly -- I would have loved not to have Katniss as a frog, but after thinking about it, I decided to keep that element, because this is a fairy tale, and what good is a fairy tale without a magic spell?
> 
> Thank you SO MUCH for reading! If you feel brave enough, leave a comment! I promise, I do not bite.

It had now been a week since Katniss had been transformed into a frog.

The frog was a beautiful creature, with large, limpid grey eyes and a vivid green color. Though she could not speak (naturally), Peeta did enough talking that first week for the both of them.

"That was a very brave thing you did," Peeta whispered to her, his lips just brushing the top of her head. “I’m sorry I couldn’t stop her.”

KATNISS (eyes half closed): SWALLOW SWALLOW SWALLOW

She was trying to say she was falling in love with Peeta, a love that grew deeper every day, because of his kind nature.

And HE was falling in love with her, too, though he was slower to recognize it, since he was not accustomed to giving much weight to his feelings.

They were never out of each other's sight. And Peeta rambled on, all day, trying in his own innocent way - and yes he WAS still innocent, even though he'd had relations with the witch – to comfort Katniss.

"I wish she'd turned ME into a frog instead of you," he'd whisper over and over again. "I think she's lying about my father. She must have known him. And he's not dead. That's just another one of her lies. I wish I knew where he was. It would be nice to have a father."

Another day he said, "she hasn't come to me for several days. And even if she were to come, I'd tell her to her face that I'm never letting anyone share my bed from now on. Except for you, of course." And then Peeta pressed a tender kiss to Katniss's frog lips, and Katniss's heart swelled with both anguish and love.

Alas, all good things must come to an end, and Peeta could not avoid the witch forever. One evening she appeared, wearing what Peeta thought of as her Lying-With-Peeta garb: a loose white tunic, draped seductively off one shoulder, her thick, long hair falling to her waist. Her skin was oiled and perfumed, and her delicate feet were bare.

It was Katniss who saw the woman first. She darted around Peeta's feet in a complete agony of nerves.

The witch sidled up to Peeta and placed a hand on his shoulder. Peeta whirled and backed away.

Alma smirked and raised one wicked eyebrow. "Well, well, my Prince, what have we here? Are you trying to defy ME, your only friend and protector?"

"Get away from me," Peeta hissed. "You're not my friend."

His stomach was twisted in knots, for he remembered all the means she had used to have her way with him.

"Careful, Peeta, you know how I get when you refuse me," she said.

Although this time, Peeta had taken the precaution of concealing the rope.

"You keep me a prisoner simply to service your base desires," Peeta gritted out.

"Base?" the witch laughed. "You seemed to enjoy my visits as much, if not more, than I did."

Peeta flushed, because it was true that she always got her way in the end, and Peeta had thought that it was wiser to let her get on with it, because he could more quickly return to his books.

"Peeta," Alma said, shaking her head as if in disbelief, "men have desires, too. I should have thought that would be clear to you, of all people."

Peeta was furious. "Get out," he shouted. "I will never allow you to touch me again."

While this infuriated the woman, it also, paradoxically, increased her desire. She remembered very well when Peeta's father, the King, had sworn to love her forever. And then Peeta's mother had stolen that love. Oh, how the memory galled her. She remembered telling Peeta's father, You will regret this. And he had laughed, that stupid, naive man. Laughed IN HER FACE. He hadn't yet known her power.

At the same time, the witch was aware that there was something DIFFERENT about Peeta. She could sense that he would not be as easy to take as he had been in the past. But she refused to give credit to the FROG.

She heard him say, again, loudly, NO.

And her fury had no bounds.

"You stupid, stupid boy," she spat out. "Do you want me to cut you? I have never done it before, but I will not hesitate to do so now. Eventually you will give in to me. AS YOU ALWAYS DO."

Peeta was afraid now, truly afraid. But he kept backing away and shaking his head. He wished he had something to use as a weapon to keep the woman at bay. He noticed Katniss at his feet. Quickly, he scooped her up in his trembling hands and cradled her against his chest. In his agitation, he thought he might try making a run for the door, but the cottage was small and the woman was blocking the only way in or out. He swallowed. Whatever happened, he must stay on his feet and not GO NEAR THE BED. He could feel Katniss's heart thumping like mad against his protective fingers. It wasn't Peeta's fault but Katniss was, at that moment, quite ANNOYED with him. He'd had a full week to think about what he should do the next time the witch showed up, and he hadn't come up with ANYTHING. Meanwhile, the witch was coming closer and closer. Close enough to touch Peeta. If Katniss had been able to, she would have been shooting arrows at the woman, right this very moment.


	10. WITHOUT LETTING GO

The woman had gone. The Wicked Witch had gone! Not before giving Peeta a smart crack across the face. His head had snapped back and for a terrifying moment Katniss thought his heart had stopped. He'd toppled over (without letting go of her -- how was that possible?), trying to break his fall by holding on to the table but missing it by a few inches. He'd hit the ground, given a loud groan, and then was still.

The woman remained staring down at him, her face completely expressionless.

 _You -- COW!_ Katniss ranted (in her head)

After a long moment, the witch sneered and turned on her heel. Katniss had no doubt she would be back.

Katniss burrowed into Peeta's chest -- still warm! And she could feel his shaky breaths. He was still alive!

She remained next to him, urging him to open his eyes, which he did. A few hours later. By then, night had fallen.

He was a little disoriented. He gasped and clutched his head, and then said, in a frightened voice, "Katniss?"

She hopped up and down. I'M HERE! I'M HERE! I'M HERE!

He let out a shaky breath. "I thought she might have hurt you."

Katniss puffed out her chest. LET HER TRY.

"I am so glad you're safe. Oh, Katniss."

Slowly, Peeta got to his feet, still holding Katniss close. He stared around him. The cottage was dark, but a full moon cast its light through the unbarred windows. Then he shivered. "This is an evil place," he said. "I've got to try and get out of this forest. I have to try and find my father. Of course, I don't have his name, or know where he lives, but maybe if I talk to people . . . "

He rambled on for a while. Katniss listened with great interest.

"Maybe," Peeta said, "I can try climbing OVER the brambles? If I padded my arms and legs with the blanket, so the thorns wouldn't shred me. It's worth a try, anyway. What do you think, Katniss? Think that might work?" He gave a shaky laugh. "I should get going. I wish there was a way I could bring my books." There was a long silence. "I suppose there are more out there. Books, I mean. I suppose I'd need to find a trade. Maybe as a printer's apprentice. Maybe at an apothecary, as I've always loved mixing herbs."

"And then maybe . . . maybe I could find a magician who'd turn you back into a human. There must be magicians. I read about them in my books. They're very clever. Much more clever than I am. Or no, I'm thinking about an alchemist. Not a magician, an alchemist. I wish I had a fairy godmother. She'd ask me to make three wishes and I'd say, Please turn Katniss back into a human. Please turn Katniss back into a human. Please turn Katniss back into a human."

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Surprisingly, she felt moisture where his lips had pressed.

Was he -- bleeding? She looked quickly up at him. Peeta's checks were wet. That's when she realized he was crying.

"I love you," he whispered. "I sound mad. I'm in love with a frog."

Even in the dark, Katniss could see his mournful smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have 23 chapters (as of now). There is lots more to happen.


	11. PEOPLE ARE REALLY NICE OUT THERE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even a frog has urges.

Slowly, Peeta began to gather up a few things. Katniss watched him, feeling sad that he was carrying out his preparations with such obvious reluctance.

"I know, I know," he said to her. "We have to leave. I'm not questioning that. It's just -- I'm a little scared thinking of what's out there, honestly. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. I still don't have a clue how we're going to get over those brambles. If you have any ideas, please feel free to share." He paused and looked intently at Katniss. At which point Katniss was SURE she would kick his ass. Once she was back in human form, that is.

"I'm sure people are really nice out there," Peeta continued, while bundling up a few clothes. "I'm sure they'll be more than willing to help. Especially when they see how hard I can work. I would actually love to work in a bakery. I've always enjoyed it when Alma -- " He stopped. A guilty look came over his face. "No, no, I won't talk about HER any more. I just -- I want to make this up to you, Katniss. I'm so sorry that you have to suffer for my weakness."

Katniss gave a hop. GET A MOVE ON, PEETA.

Peeta seemed to understand. He swung the blanket from his bed -- which he had knotted at three corners, to form a kind of knapsack -- over his shoulder. "Now to see how easily I can get over that barrier." He looked miserable. He scooped Katniss up from the floor and deposited her inside his shirt. OOOH, Katniss almost fainted. He smelled SO GOOD in there.

He walked outside. The cool night air made his nipples harden, Katniss could feel them. TRA LA LA, she wanted to sing. STOP IT, she scolded herself. HE'S A PRINCE! DON'T BE THINKING SUCH THINGS ABOUT HIM!

"What's wrong?" Peeta said, stopping.

OH! DID I JUST --

"You're squirming a lot," Peeta chuckled. "It tickles. You're probably not that comfortable. Shall I put you in my trousers ..."

YES PLEASE thought Katniss, then blushed. Then remembered she was a frog so it didn't matter whether or not she was blushing.

"I think you're safer where you are," Peeta said. "You might fall out of my trousers."

OKAY, Katniss thought. I'LL BE STILL NOW.

"HOLY MOTHER OF ALL BRAMBLES!" Peeta burst out. His head was tilted all the way back as he searched for where the brambles ended. "I can't even see the stars. Were these brambles always this high? Or did Alma just raise them about six feet?"

DON'T GIVE UP, PEETA! Katniss thought.

"I won't give up," Peeta said. "Anything's better than being HER prisoner."

Cautiously, he tried putting his weight on a section. It seemed to hold. Slowly, he rested both feet on the brambles. He was starting to sweat. Probably, Katniss thought, from anxiety.

He reached up a hand and pulled himself up. Slowly, slowly, he was inching himself higher.

THAT'S IT, PEETA! Katniss thought. His chest was now so slick with sweat that she slid lower and lower, toward the waist of his trousers. But she was so far from thinking anything, she was just hopeful and joyful at the thought of escape.

"Oh!" Peeta said, stopping. He turned and looked back at the way he had come. "The cottage looks small from here. Did I really live there so long? I can't believe it! Maybe I dreamed it all up?"

HURRY! Katniss thought. If she were in human form, she would have kicked him.

Peeta turned and continued climbing. "Strange, but the higher I get, the easier it becomes. It wasn't that hard to get to the top after all. I should have tried sooner. What was I thinking?"

He kept on babbling. Katniss was so exhausted that, soon, her eyes closed, and she drifted into sleep.

When next Katniss opened her eyes, Peeta was still. His chest rose and fell with each deep breath. He was sleeping!

WAKE UP, PEETA! WAKE UP! Katniss thought, and began hopping frantically about inside his shirt.


	12. OUT OF THE FOREST

Katniss kept up her determined hopping on Peeta's chest until, finally, he twitched and opened his eyes. For a minute, he seemed stunned. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

HOP, Katniss went. HOP, HOP, HOP.

Finally, he groaned and sat up. "Where am I?" he murmured. "How did I get here?"

In the morning light, Katniss saw that his face, arms, and hands were covered in scratches, some of which were bleeding. Her heart did a strange dance.

At that same moment, she heard voices.

"People!" Peeta said, swallowing hard. "People are coming!"

At this, Katniss was quite pleased. But Peeta began to tremble.

"I think I'm -- I think we're out of the forest, Katniss," he said. "At least, I don't see brambles anymore. That's good, right?"

Katniss hopped. RIGHT.

"But who are those people coming?" Peeta said. "I'm not in a fit state to be seen. My clothes are dirty and I need a wash."

"There he is!" came a little boy's voice.

Peeta cringed. He ran both hands over his face. Then looked down at his palms, which were covered in blood. "Oh!" he said.

"I told you, Papa!" came the little boy's voice, much closer. "I told you he was hurt!"

Katniss looked up. Suddenly she noticed in the distance a crowd of villagers. A little dark-haired boy was pulling a man -- presumably his father -- forward, crying "He's woken up! Look, Papa! He's not dead!"

The little boy pulled his father directly to where Peeta was sitting on the ground. The rest of the crowd -- about two dozen villagers -- hung back, slightly fearful.

"Who are you?" the little boy's father said. "How came you here?"

Peeta stammered, "I -- I don't know. I -- "

Then a woman came up, who seemed to be the man's wife. "Look, Haymitch," she said. "His hair! Like spun gold! Doesn't it remind you of someone's? There is not, in all the kingdom, a person with hair that gold. Other than the late Queen."

"Who hurt you?" the man said, addressing Peeta directly. "Was it bandits?"

"I -- I hurt myself," Peeta began.

The man folded his arms and looked down at Peeta with suspicion.

"Haymitch," the woman scolded. "He is wounded. Let us bring him back to the village and tend to him. The questions can wait."

Peeta tried to stand, but fell hard. At that, the rest of the villagers rushed forward. One laid a blanket on the ground, and carefully a few others lifted Peeta (and Katniss, though no one had noticed her yet, she was still hidden inside Peeta's shirt) onto the blanket. They carried him back to the village in that fashion.

Peeta's head lolled back and he closed his eyes. "I believe we've been saved, Katniss," he said.

The men carrying him gave each other strange looks, but Peeta continued to babble. "I will ask if any in the village know of a skilled sorcerer. Someone who can turn a frog back into a beautiful maiden. And if there are none in the village, I will search the ends of the earth. We may have long to journey, but we will do it together."

Katniss's heart was full to overflowing as she listened to her Prince make promises that he had little idea he could actually fulfill. And then he spoke no more, not until many hours later. Katniss, meanwhile, tried her best to see what she could of their surroundings, but it was hard to do while trying to remain surreptitious. She knew that if she were spotted, they would probably dispatch her to the nearest pond or meadow. And she might never find Peeta again.


	13. THE VILLAGE

"These people are great, aren't they, Katniss?" Peeta asked. "For years I was afraid to even TRY to escape because I thought people were mean and I was much better off with -- "

Katniss, who was quite used to Peeta's babbling by now, looked around her with a worried glance.

"I have a trade now! I start with the baker tomorrow. I can't wait."

BUT, PEETA, Katniss thought, WE HAVE TO FIND YOUR PARENTS.

"I know what you're thinking," Peeta said. "We have to find my parents. I guess I will. But first I  
have to earn a living. And be the same as everyone else."

PEETA, Katniss thought, YOU WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE.

Katniss herself thought the village was a rather poor one. The women looked grim and had too many children. There was one main street, with a cluster of cottages on either side. Despite the poverty, the pub was large. It was right at the end of the street, the end that led up to the King's Road. Above the pub entrance was a sign: The Golden Trumpet. There was an image of the trumpet itself, right below the sign.

Travelers came up and down the King's Road, at all times of the day and night. Now and then, there were even carriages that bore the crest of the King, the Golden Lion. Of course, the King himself was never in any of these carriages, because he never traveled. He was still grieving over the death of his wife, 17 years earlier. He stayed shut up in his castle, killing himself slowly with drink.

It was said that the kingdom was actually ruled by the King's uncle, the Duke of Farnsworth. This Duke had the reputation for pomp and spectacle, and spent all the King's coin on twice-yearly jousting tournaments.

But despite their humble circumstances, Peeta was right that the villagers WERE very kind. And, once Peeta's wounds had healed, and he had shown what a kind and also hardworking lad he was, they treated him as one of them.

The baker had offered Peeta a room above the bakery. This was where the baker himself used to live, until he married and started a family of his own. The room was small, but it was perfect. Peeta and Katniss could talk to each other without fearing they were being watched -- or, rather, Peeta could talk to Katniss without fearing that HE was being watched. And every night, when he got ready for bed, Peeta scooped Katniss up in his warm hands and placed her over his chest. He would gently stroke her head, and whisper her all his plans. And then he would say a little prayer -- for, strangely, he HAD learned to pray -- that they continue safe from the Witch's harm.

Peeta was never lonely because he was used to being alone. And, besides, he had Katniss. But there was no doubt that he was a very handsome lad, with that golden hair, and those piercing blue eyes, and that broad chest. Eventually, one or more of the village lasses set their caps at him. One, a hussy named Clove, had even managed to get her lips on Peeta's, for a few moments. Peeta was so startled that he nearly fell. But Clove was undeterred. She still stalked him, getting closer and closer, and if Katniss had only been her real size, she would have tossed Clove down the nearest well. In vain did Katniss's throat swell with righteous anger. In vain did she dream of Clove landing hard on her fat ass. But Peeta merely gave Clove a shaky, apologetic smile, and said he was already betrothed, to "a girl in a faraway village." And he was working only until he collected enough coin to build her a suitable home.

Peeta's last words, every night, were "I love you, Katniss."

And Katniss would think, "I love you, too."


	14. HAPPINESS

Katniss and Peeta passed several weeks in the village. Peeta was happy, and since Peeta was happy, Katniss tried to be happy. It was easy for the villagers to accept Peeta because he was so handsome, and so good.

They continued to ask Peeta, however, about his family. The women, in particular, would not let the matter drop. They gossiped, and surmised that he must be of noble lineage, for all peasants were dark-haired, and all lords were fair-haired. It had been thus since time immemorial. What was confusing about Peeta was that he gave himself no airs. The baker soon regarded him as indispensable, because Peeta was a very hard worker, and seemed to love his job besides.

Peeta started the ovens at the break of dawn. The first week, he had insisted on leaving Katniss up in their room. For he knew the great heat bothered her. But she was so sad and so depressed about being left alone (and she had a way of communicating this to Peeta. She would simply sit, splayed out on the floor by his bed, and not even manage one croak when he returned mid-morning to check on her). So then he brought her with him, but made sure to deposit her just by the door, so she would not be overcome with the heat.

The richest man in the village was the pub keeper, Haymitch Abernethy. Over the years, traffic on the King's Road had increased. And because of the pub's excellent situation by the road, the number of customers steadily grew. Haymitch himself was a very gruff character, but he developed an unaccountable affection for Peeta, perhaps because he and his wife, Effie, had not been blessed with children.

Katniss and Peeta were not without problems, however. For one, Clove kept trying to approach Peeta, despite the fact that he rebuffed her each time, and she vented her frustration by spreading malicious lies about him. She had overheard Peeta whispering to Katniss, "One day, Katniss. One day, soon. I'll have enough to leave the village and go in search of a sorcerer, someone who can undo the spell that SHE cast on you."

This talk of spells made Clove's eyebrows rise almost to the top of her head.

Sometimes she would hear the sound of Peeta's laughter wafting out of the bakery, and she would creep to a window and look in. She never saw anyone else with Peeta, so she figured he must be talking to himself. But then she would hear him say things like, "Your eyes, like molten silver, I love them so much" or "Your courage saved me."

She was consumed with jealousy and swore she would find a way to bind Peeta to herself.

Matters came to a head when she caught Peeta picking some dandelions that had sprung up right behind the bakery.

"I knew it!" she hissed, coming out from behind a pile of firewood that lay just beside the bakery's back door. "You're seeing someone in the village. Who is it? Don't tell me it's that cow, the shoemaker's daughter."

Peeta sprung around to face Clove. He wore an annoyed look, an expression Katniss rarely saw on his face.

"I'm going to tell everyone. You're a liar!"

"Leave me alone!" Peeta cried. "I like flowers. What's wrong with picking them!" (He picked them for Katniss, who he knew needed much comforting, and who seemed to like them. At least, she always raised her little frog head and blinked energetically when he presented them to her) Clove put both hands on her hips and sneered. "You're telling me you pick those for YOURSELF? What kind of boy does that?"

"They're for -- " but before Peeta could finish his sentence, Clove screamed. Katniss had leaped under Clove's skirt and was hopping around, so angry was she.

Clove jumped up and down, frantic. "What -- what is it?" Her mouth fell open when she saw a green frog -- and not just any green frog, an extremely ANGRY green frog -- fall out of her skirt. She put a hand to her forehead and fainted. Peeta called out for help, and the baker came running.

"What's wrong with her? Did you do something?" he demanded.

"No, I swear I never touched her!" Peeta cried.

And the baker believed him. Because he had seen Clove hanging about and knew how she relentlessly pursued Peeta. And besides, he believed Peeta to be a very virtuous sort, who had never so much as let his gaze land on any of the village lasses (leading the baker to wonder if Peeta's preferences were for men rather than women!) He and Peeta lifted Clove and carried her inside, to a bench. She came to in several minutes, and when the baker questioned her, she said that a frog had crawled up under her skirt. Which set the baker to laughing so heartily that everyone in the village heard him. By then, Peeta had scooped Katniss up and put her inside his shirt, so his secret was safe. At least, for the moment.

One fine day, news spread that the King's most trusted minister had been sent on a most important errand. There was rarely any news of the King, since he had become a recluse since the death of the Queen in childbirth, seventeen years earlier. The governance of the Kingdom fell more and more to the evil Duke Cato, his brother.

Now, the villagers whispered that the King was planning to abdicate his throne and name the Duke in his place. The Duke had two fine sons, about the age of the young Prince, the King's heir, who no one had seen, and who people assumed had died shortly after his birth. Both of the Duke's sons were of marriageable age, and now every noble lady in the realm had set her hopes on being married to one of them.

Even Peeta was excited. He had to work harder than ever before, since the baker stocked the pub with meat pies and Haymitch had placed a larger than usual order, anticipating the king's minister would need victuals and would likely stop at The Golden Trumpet.

"What do you think, Katniss?" Peeta asked as he got himself ready for bed. "Do you think I will get to see the King's Minister? Do you think he will stop at the pub? I'm delivering the meat pies mid-morning. I hope I see the minister. I'd like to see his fine carriage."

Katniss nodded drowsily. She was tired from the long days in the bakery, and her eyes were drooping shut. Suddenly, she felt a tickle at her nose. Peeta was holding a bunch of dandelions out to her.

"I'm sorry these are a little wilted. I picked them this afternoon, and put them in a mug with water.

But they were much prettier before. I'm sorry."


	15. THE KING'S MINISTER

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From here on out, things get REALLY interesting.

Before long, the peace and security of life in the village was disturbed by an important visitor. This was none other than the King's Minister, who appeared at The Golden Trumpet with an entourage, and who consumed much ale and a large number of meat pies, and who pronounced himself very impressed with the victuals. But the very next day, he gathered all the villagers in the square, and read a Royal Pronouncement that said that the King was seriously ill, and had decreed that his brother, Duke Cato, would take over as ruler of the kingdom, UNLESS.

And here all the villagers held their breath --

UNLESS anyone came forward with information about the King's son, who was taken from his crib only days after the death of the Queen. At this, there was much murmuring and consternation, because this was the first the villagers had heard of the Royal Heir. Everyone had assumed that the Queen and her infant had died within hours of each other's passing.

"Anyone who comes forward with information," the King's Minister proclaimed, "will be rewarded with lands and a title." And then the King's Minister caused a scroll to be nailed to the door of the town hall, with the whole matter regarding the reward set down in writing.

The villagers could talk of nothing else. Everyone remembered those dark days when the Queen had died. She was so virtuous, and so beautiful, that the whole kingdom had sunk into deep mourning. Why, not a month before her passing, she had still been going about the countryside, distributing alms and visiting orphanages.

"The Prince should be around 17 now," the villagers mused.

And talk eventually found its way to Peeta.

The mayor of the village called a special meeting. The baker, the shoemaker, the pub keeper, the blacksmith, and just plain old peasants were in attendance. Lowly assistants like Peeta were not invited. And besides, he was not from the village. Women were not invited either, so who knows how many single ladies went wandering to the bakery, with no baker there to keep a protective eye over his assistant. Of course, they had to contend with Peeta's extreme indifference, and Clove babbled constantly about a Wicked and Horrible Frog, but everyone just assumed she was mad at Peeta because he had not shown the slightest interest in kissing her.

"That baker's boy is not a peasant," said the blacksmith.

Aye, aye, everyone said. Because it was as plain as the nose on one's face.

"And he is the right age," said the mayor, thoughtfully stroking his beard.

"He never talks about his family," said another. "He is hiding something!"

Then everyone started talking and arguing, but it was the baker who had the last word: "That boy may not be a peasant, but he knows the value of work, and is as honest as a summer's day!"

"But do you think he might be the Prince?" someone asked the baker.

"Umm," the baker said, and shrugged.

"Why don't we send a message to the king?" the shoemaker suggested. "There aren't many fairhaired boys wandering the countryside, after all. It's probably Peeta."

And then there were loud cheers, because of course the villagers thought of the reward.

"Fetch the boy!" said the blacksmith.

A crowd was getting ready to go to the bakery when Haymitch stopped them. "Don't you think someone should try and talk to Peeta first? Ask him what he remembers, and how he came to be here? If he was taken as an infant, someone took him. For an infant, you know, CANNOT WALK."

Everyone was struck with the wisdom of this statement.

"And if someone took him," Haymitch continued, "We should find out the identity of the kidnapper. So that the King may have him chained and thrown into the dungeons."

"He is of marriageable age," said another villager. "Find out if the story he told about a sweetheart in another village is true."

"Well, of course it's true," the baker said. "Peeta is not a liar."

"But then why is he HERE and not THERE with his sweetheart?" another man said.

"My daughter, Clove," said a sneering man, "asserts that he has a secret love, who is right here, in this very village!"

There was wild consternation at this remark.

"Nonsense!" said the baker, but he refused to say anything more because he himself had, many times, overheard Peeta addressing endearments to thin air. But -- here the baker finally bestirred himself. Only the previous week, he had dreamt about a beautiful woman, whose face had been bathed in tears, who called out continuously for Peeta.

"The Queen!" the villagers cried.

"No, it was not the Queen," the baker said. "She had dark hair. I mentioned it to Peeta, and he grew quite pale. He said a name. Anna? Alma?"

"What is the significance of the dream?" the mayor asked. He was quite superstitious, and believed in numerology.

"I do not know," the baker said. "But Peeta didn't seem to want to talk about it anymore, so I did not press him further."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapters are a little more full than the original version. The storyline doesn't change, but I added details.
> 
> Peeta will discover who his father is. Stay tuned.


	16. "CHEESE BUNS, PLEASE!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're still enjoying this story.
> 
> I feel like this is one of my more light-hearted fics, and it's THERAPEUTIC for me to write the Frog Katniss scenes.

Peeta had his hands full. When the baker was present, he stayed in the back and did not bother with customers. He liked it that way, because he could converse with Katniss. But today, since a village council meeting had been called, he had to deal with the customers himself.

Yes, every village woman of marriageable age had rushed to the bakery as soon as the "coast was clear" -- that is, as soon as the bakery and every man in the village had gone to the Town Hall.

So now, Peeta was feeling rather frazzled, trying to deal with a crowd of excited young women.

"Cheese buns, please! I love your cheese buns!" was the general cry.

"Of course! Of course!" Peeta said, rushing back and forth, Katniss slipping and sliding underneath his shirt (for, even though it was still early in the day, he was already starting to sweat.)

He knew them all, of course, for the village was a small one. The nicest was Delly, the shoemaker's daughter, for she never teased him but always asked for this or that with a smile. Then there was Bristel, the daughter of the blacksmith, who was sometimes mean but not as mean as Clove, who was back to her malicious ways, smirking at Peeta (though keeping a safe distance, for fear of The Horrible Frog) and tugging the neck of her loose peasant blouse as low as she could without actually exposing her wares.

"Thank you, Peeta!" the girls would giggle, as he handed over the buns.

Today, however, there was one among the girls who was a stranger. Peeta had to look twice, but confirmed he had never set eyes on her in his life. When the chattering girls had dispersed (still in the vicinity, however, so they could eye Peeta while nibbling on their buns), she came forward and addressed him. Her voice was low and rich, and set his nerve ends to tingling. Katniss, burrowed inside Peeta's shirt, detected the change in him immediately. She tried to peek out, but Peeta's chest was too slippery with sweat. All she could do was press her small frog head, and her small frog hands, against his skin, offering him whatever comfort she could.

"Are YOU the baker?" the girl asked, tilting her head to one side, and perusing Peeta with a knowing air.

"I am not," Peeta said. "Merely his apprentice."

"You don't look like an apprentice," the girl said.

"Indeed I am," Peeta said. "I have only just begun to learn the trade."

"Oh?" the girl said. "And how long ago was that?"

"Not two moons past," Peeta said. "What can I get you?"

"Why, nothing!" the girl said, with a smirk. "I already have what I want."

Peeta stared, confused.

TELL HER TO GO AWAY, PEETA, Katniss thought. She began squirming vigorously beneath his shirt.

"Well, if there's nothing else, I'm going to close the bakery. We're almost out, and I need to bake more."

The girl was silent.

Peeta busied himself with shutting the windows.

"Come here, Peeta," the girl said.

Peeta didn't turn. He continued calmly putting away the trays, now empty, on which he and the baker set out the fresh-baked sticks of bread, the meat pies, the cheese buns.

He was bending over a table when Katniss plopped out.

"Oh!" Peeta said, hastily reaching for her.

"I knew it!" the girl crowed.

Peeta ignored her. Scooping Katniss up in his hands, he hurriedly exited the back door of the bakery. She was trembling all over, and her grey eyes were wide and agitated.

THAT WAS. PEETA, THAT WAS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to reassure you, Katniss will not ALWAYS be a frog (cause she and Peeta have to get together!), but I am toying with the idea of not making her completely human anymore. Peeta will find a way to bring her back, but it won't be stable: she'll sometimes be Katniss Human, and sometimes Katniss Frog. That's how this story will start to veer from the earlier version.


	17. TO KNOW

Peeta's heart was pounding madly in his chest. And Katniss's was, too. Peeta had no idea where his feet were taking him. Only many long moments later did he look up and realize how far he had gone beyond the outskirts of the village. He sank to the ground.

"She found me!" he cried out. "I don't know how, but she found me!"

WE HAVE TO LEAVE, Katniss thought. PEETA, WE HAVE TO LEAVE.

Peeta closed his eyes and groaned. He threw his head back. His blonde hair was dark and sticky, matted with sweat. He reached up to his tunic as if it were choking him and angrily tore it off. Wisely, Katniss had slid off and now clung to his trousers. She looked up at him with large, sorrowful eyes.

His right hand came up and cupped her head thoughtfully. He began to sob.

"I don't know what to do," he said. He looked at Katniss. "Do you think," he said hesitantly, "do you think we could find another village?"

Katniss thought for a moment, then mournfully shook her head.

"I wish," Peeta said, "I wish I knew who my father was. "He would help us, I know it. But I don't know anything about him. Except -- except maybe he looks like me?"

Katniss nodded her head vigorously.

"I didn't see anyone who looked like me in the village," Peeta continued, reflecting. "Why is that?"

BECAUSE YOU'RE TOO HANDSOME FOR THIS WORLD, Katniss thought. She was glad she had lost the ability to speak, or she would have embarrassed herself. Saying something like this to a boy! And not just any boy -- a Lord!

"It's funny," Peeta continued. "The King's Minister said the King had lost a son. And I have lost a father. I think I know what the King is feeling. I would give anything to know. I wonder why the King waited so long to start looking, though. If I had a son, and he was taken from me, I would move Heaven and Earth, I would never stop looking until I found him."

I KNOW WHO YOUR FATHER IS, Katniss thought. But she could not say it. She lifted her head and looked around. Then she became very excited. She realized they were quite close to the King's Road! She began to hop up and down. Peeta watched her for a moment, then gave her a weary smile.

"I know, I'm pretty hungry, too. I haven't had a thing to eat in AGES."

Katniss was furious. She stamped her little frog feet.

"I know!" Peeta said. "I wish there was a pond nearby, so I could have a bath, and you could swim." He closed his eyes again. "I'd like very much to have a swim with you, Katniss. Imagine that, you and me -- you a lovely girl, swimming with me, a no-account lad." He began to smile, still keeping his eyes closed. "If only I'd met you sooner."

Katniss's usual pale green color was turning a brilliant red; funny, she'd never known frogs were capable of blushing. By now, of course, she knew everything about Peeta, even the way he looked down there. She knew that when he woke in the morning, that thing between his legs was hard and sometimes, because it ached, Peeta would stroke himself, still half-asleep, still half-dreaming. Sometimes, he would exhale her name, Katniss. And then all of a sudden, he would shudder, and Katniss would feel his enjoyment streak out of him. So, this was what boys and men did to themselves! Surely, she was beyond all embarrassment now.

STOP IT, KATNISS! THIS IS NOT THE TIME!

She hopped on to Peeta's trousers.

GO! WE MUST GO, PEETA!

But Peeta still wanted to lie there and dream, one hand cupping the front of his trousers, the other stroking her head.

WHAT A BOY! HOW HE CAN EVEN, IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THIS!

She crept to his waist, where the skin was now flushed and rosy, and lowered her frog lips, and gave him a gentle nip.

"What?" Peeta said, opening his eyes and looking at her. Her eyes pleaded with him. "Oh, right," Peeta said, finally getting up.

Over in the shade of a small stand of trees, a dark-haired woman watched them and smiled secretively to herself.


	18. THE KING'S ROAD

Wearily, Peeta trudged towards the King Road, Katniss hanging on to his shoulder. It was now getting on to midday, and Peeta's fair shoulders were red from the heat. He had only the vaguest of plans.

"This road must lead somewhere," Peeta muttered. "Another village, hopefully."

Suddenly, he stopped. Far away, he spotted a cloud of dust that grew and grew as it approached.

"Whose carriage is that?" Peeta mused aloud. "It's a very big, black carriage. With a fine set of horses. No one in the village has a carriage like that, not even Haymitch." He stopped to watch. Katniss peered down the road, as far as she could. After a few moments, she began hopping up and down.

IT'S THE KING'S MINISTER, PEETA!

"Maybe he can help us," Peeta said. He squared his shoulders. "I shouldn't have gotten rid of my shirt."

The carriage was now plainly visible, the horses going at a good clip.

"I know what to do," Peeta gritted out. "I'll stand in the middle of the road. They can't run over me, they have to stop."

PEETA??? Katniss thought. NO, NO, NO! IT'S DANGEROUS!

But Peeta, having gotten this idea into his head, was now trotting over to the middle of the road.

NO, PEETA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Katniss thought.

The dark-haired woman by the trees began to run towards them.

Peeta raised his arms and waved.

The carriage driver must have seen him, but instead of slowing down, speeded up.

"Damn fool!" the coachman yelled. "Get out of the way! Do you want to get yourself killed?"

Peeta stood his ground. At the last moment, the carriage swerved. The horses whinnied in terror. They reared back, and the traces stretched to the utmost. The driver and a footman jumped down and tried to calm the horses, all the time throwing black curses at Peeta.

The King's Minister stuck his head out of the carriage window. "What is the meaning of this?" he cried, his face red with anger.

"We would have hit that boy," the coachman said, indicating Peeta, who had not moved.

The Minister alighted from the carriage. He needed to take a closer look at Peeta. There was something -- the hair, for one. It was the color of spun gold. He hadn't seen hair like that since, since --

"Boy!" the Minister shouted. "Who are you? What business do you have impeding passage on the King's Road?"

"Sir!" Peeta said. "My name is Peeta, I badly need your assistance."

"How old are you, boy?" the Minister said, walking up to Peeta. "And why is that frog sitting on  
your shoulder?"

Katniss began trembling. Minister Aurelius watched with narrowed eyes as Peeta cupped his hand over her.

"She -- she is my friend, Sir. Her name is Katniss."

The Minister's mouth fell open. "Well, I never -- !” But now that he had a good look at the boy, there was something that set every nerve in his body tingling, as if he knew! Though he had never seen the Prince, not since he was a babe. “You say your name is Peeta?”

Peeta nodded.

Minister Aurelius said, “Peeta, how come you to be here? From your accent, you are not from these parts."

Peeta said, "I lived in the forest, sir. A long way off."

The Minister looked him up and down. He is very like -- !

"Did you just come from that village over there?" the Minister asked, indicating, in the distance, the village where Katniss and Peeta had spent the past two moons.

"Yes," Peeta said. "I was apprentice to the baker."

"And does your Master know you are running around on the King's Road? Should you not be in the bakery?" And yet the Minister knew that there was no chance he would return Peeta to the baker. Not now, having seen him. For, to tell the truth, the Minister being of great age, he was one of less than a dozen people in the Kingdom who had known the King since childhood. And Peeta – Peeta was the spitting image of the King before age and grief had altered his countenance forever.

Peeta bit his lip. He did feel very bad about leaving the baker.

The dark-haired woman had dropped behind a hedgerow. As she watched Peeta enter the Minister’s carriage, she gnashed her teeth with rage.


	19. HIS GAZE ON THE FROG

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minister Aurelius understands that Katniss is no ordinary frog.
> 
> He begins to suspect the work of a certain sorceress, whose name he can never forget.

Peeta insisted he would not enter the Minister's carriage without Katniss.

"Katniss . . . " the Minister said.

"My friend," Peeta said, laying a comforting hand on Katniss's head. She was trembling badly.

“Surely,” the Minister said, “a frog would be much happier in water?”

At this, not only Katniss but Peeta shook their heads so violently that the Minister knew he had to permit this eccentricity. Surely there are worse things, the Minister thought.

“Of course, Your H – I mean, Peeta,” the Minister said. The footman opened the carriage door with a flourish. The Minister noted how Peeta glanced first at Katniss, as if seeking her counsel, before nodding and boarding the carriage.

The minister had never been this close to a frog, never. Not in his entire life. But the boy -- or Prince, as the minister could see quite clearly who Peeta was -- was clearly agitated whenever the minister suggested letting Katniss loose in a pond.

Now, with Peeta seated across from him in the carriage, the Minister had time to study the strange pair at his leisure. Peeta bent his head and whispered softly into Katniss’s ear. Gradually, her trembling ceased.

Turning his attention to Peeta, the Minister was happy to see that, except for some disturbing scarring around his wrists (indicating that he’d been restrained at some point), he seemed healthy and alert. His body, therefore, was definitely sound. But as for his mind – no, he was sane. There must be a deeper story to his attachment to the frog.

The Minister sat back and watched Peeta’s interactions with Katniss; he became convinced that this was no ordinary frog. For one thing, there was such tenderness in Peeta’s gestures, such ardor in his gaze, that he almost seemed to be in love. With a frog! And the frog in return seemed excessively attached to Peeta, clinging to him with all her might. Her eyes were closed, her breathing seemed rapid, yet she never seemed inclined to get off his shoulder. And the way Peeta kept a hand cupped over her, as though protecting her, was quite extraordinary.

“I think the King would be most interested in meeting you, Peeta. And -- your friend Katniss as well."

Peeta nodded. He seemed untroubled, but the Minister detected a flash of defiance in those blue eyes. It was the same expression he had seen time and time again on the King's face -- that is, until the death of Queen Sofia, which had wrecked His Royal Majesty, utterly. It had wrecked the Minister as well, for Queen Sofia was the Minister’s dearly beloved daughter.

"If you pardon my asking, Peeta -- where did you make the acquaintance of your friend?" the Minister asked, as gently as he could.

Peeta’s intense blue gaze fastened momentarily on the Minister then slid away again, to the frog he kept cupped at his chest. "In the forest," he said, his thumb stroking the frog gently behind her head. The frog’s eyes were half-closed with – bliss?

"Ah!" the Minister said, feigning understanding. "So were you in the forest long?"

"Yes," Peeta said. "Long." His face now exhibited a rather thundering look. Which the Minister understood very well, having served the King many years. Yet, he felt it incumbent upon him to persist in his questioning. "And you were alone there? In the forest?" the Minister asked. "Apart from -- Katniss, of course."

Peeta nodded.

"Tell me, Peeta," the Minister said, "What do you know about frogs?"

Peeta gazed with suspicion at The Minister. He knew, however, that he should not be impolite when addressing one of his betters.

"She is no ordinary frog,” he began, then stopped abruptly.

"She is indeed -- enchanting," the Minister said, with a small smile. "In fact, she may just be the most beautiful frog I have ever seen. May I -- ?" he reached forward with a finger, intending to lay it on one of Katniss's delicate fingers or toes. At which she gave an immense start.

"No!" Peeta said. "She doesn't want to be touched."

"Oh, indeed!" the Minister said, withdrawing his finger. He asked, "Can she jump?"

"CAN she?" Peeta said, relaxing. "She can jump very far. Her hind legs are very powerful."

"Fascinating!" the Minister said. "I wonder if she is one of those that burrow into the ground . .”

"No," Peeta said. "She is not one of those. She stays with me."

"Oh, I am not suggesting otherwise," the Minister said with a smile. "I would never dream of separating the two of you. In fact, she seems almost human."

"She is!" Peeta said, hotly. Then collected himself. "Was. I mean, I cannot bear to be parted from her."

"Oh? And what of HER?" the Minister asked. "Would not -- Katniss -- that is her name, is it not? -- prefer to be with -- OTHER frogs?"

"No," Peeta said, scowling. "She came to me. And we are fast friends.”

"Hmmm," the Minister said. "In that form?"

“Of course not!” Peeta burst out. He brought the frog close to his chest, his eyes filled with immeasurable sadness.

“Forgive my obtuseness,” the Minister said. He nearly added “Your Royal Highness” at the end of that sentence but caught himself just in the nick of time.

Peeta nodded but kept his gaze fixed on the frog.

The Minister decided not to press the matter further. For the time being.

Clearing his throat, he said, "We are headed to the Castle. It will be a long journey. You should – both of you should – try and get some rest.”

Peeta nodded and closed his eyes. But the Minister could sense tension in every fibre of his being.

The Minister pondered the situation: Katniss, a young woman, had fallen afoul of some dark enchantment and had been turned into a frog. He himself did not know of any sorceress who had the power to perform such a transformation. He caught himself. No, he knew of ONE. Only ONE. But that had been a long time ago. He frowned.

It was a good thing the Minister did not bother to stick his head out the carriage window and look behind, because he would have seen a strange sight: a dark-haired woman of extraordinary beauty, following the carriage -- but with her feet not quite touching the ground! If he HAD seen such a sight, it would have made his hair stand on end.

Katniss, meanwhile, was only pretending to sleep. She thought she could read the expression in the Minister's eyes: to him, she was a repulsive creature, someone he would only have been too happy to flip out the window. She was grateful that Peeta kept a hand cupped over her. It was as if he wanted to reassure her that they would never be parted. She wanted to believe him, and wished ardently that she could find a way to protect him from all harm. She knew she was only a little creature, the lowest of the low. But her will and determination were strong.


	20. QUEEN SOFIA

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still following the plot of the original, just introducing Peeta to Queen Sofia (his dead mother, though he hasn't realized it yet) a little earlier.

After several hours, Peeta awoke. It had been an uneasy sleep, full of dark portents. He felt the Minister's eyes on him and abruptly straightened in his seat.

“Did you sleep well?” the Minister asked.

“Yes,” Peeta said, rubbing his eyes. He looked out the window of the carriage and gasped. The size of the town they were passing were larger than any he had seen before. People stood by the side of the road, gaping at the headlong rush of the Minister’s carriage.

“We are close now,” the Minister said. “Have you been to this part of the Kingdom before?”

“No,” Peeta said.

“Do not be alarmed, the King will indeed be very, very happy to see you.” (Hopefully, Aurelius thought to himself, the man he had sent on ahead would have reached the King with Aurelius’s message by now)

Peeta shifted uneasily. “I have never met the King,” he said.

“Do not worry yourself unnecessarily,” the Minister said. “You have nothing to fear from him. You are safe.”

“The Queen is dead,” Peeta continued, as if the Minister had not spoken. “Is that true? I may have heard something about that.”

“Yes, Queen Sofia.” The Minister watched the boy carefully before continuing, “She passed.”

“Oh,” Peeta said.

“It was a long time ago," the Minister said, a melancholy note creeping into his voice. "She was the most beautiful woman in the entire Kingdom. The King loved her dearly."

"How did she pass?” Peeta asked.

"She died in childbirth."

Peeta stared. “I – I am sorry. That is terrible,” he said.

A sigh rose from the trees that shaded the King's Road. The Minister paused in his tale. "What? Has the weather changed so soon? It was fair when we left the village this morning, but the sky has darkened. We may yet have rain."

The trees were swaying because the witch was bending them as she passed, leaping from treetop to treetop to keep pace with the carriage drawn by fast horses. Also, she had tremendous powers of hearing and could hear every word of the conversation that was taking place between Peeta and the Minister. She did not want Peeta to know the truth. She howled and shook, and her howls were like wind.

The Minister stuck his head out of the carriage to call to the driver, up on his box. "We should make the Castle by nightfall. We cannot afford to stop. I have important news for the King."

The Minister did not even have to say it. The coachman and the footman sitting beside him knew how important their mission had become. They must make the Castle with the utmost speed. For, if their eyes proved them right, Peeta was the Prince. He, and not the King's brother, Duke Cato, would be the heir to the kingdom. As yet, the Duke had not heard the news, but it surely would not be pleasing to him.

Suddenly, Peeta turned to the Minister and said, "Why are you taking me to the King?"

“There is a resemblance. You – “

"Speak plain!” Peeta said, a deepening suspicion in his voice.

"Peeta," the Minister said, trying to make his voice as soothing as possible. "The King has been seeking a son who was lost to him. Lost for many years."

"But you haven’t said what the connection is with me," Peeta said. "Why should I trust you? I only just met you."

The suspicion in Peeta's voice broke him. That, and the scars on his wrists. "You will come to no harm, once you are under the protection of the King," the Minister said. "Indeed, you are under MY protection now."

Peeta held his gaze without flinching.

He is a brave boy, the Minister thought. He would make a fitting King.

"My -- Katniss. Needs help," Peeta whispered. "She's -- she's fading. She -- " he stopped.

Katniss's eyes had twitched open. She was looking at the Minister with a grave expression.

"I can see how beautiful your Katniss was. Is. Trapped in there. Look at those silver eyes! It must have been a powerful magic that was used on her.” The Minister was certain now of the identity of the person who had done this to Katniss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a long, long way to the Castle, obvs.
> 
> Which is GREAT for me, author, because I can let the Minister continue to question Peeta.


	21. HE WILL LEARN

They were now near to the castle. Minister Aurelius noted a change in Peeta’s attitude. As he gazed out the window, his face grew studied and blank, as if he were trying hard to mask his emotions.

 _And what might those emotions be, Peeta?_ Minister Aurelius found himself wondering. _Do you find yourself, at last, remembering?_

Minister Aurelius tried to engage him further in conversation. "Peeta, the King is very ill," Minister Aurelius said. "He will not last much longer. It started with a cough, but eventually we realized the cough was only a manifestation of a deeper illness, a canker. He sent me here, there and everywhere to find the best doctors and the best healers. That was how I occupied my time during the past few years.”

Peeta fastened his blank gaze on the Minister and gave a slight nod. Minister Aurelius took a deep breath and decided to continue: “The King himself has made peace with his condition, comforting himself that he will soon be reunited with his one true love, Queen Sofia. The one thing he regretted was giving up his child, the infant Prince, who he turned his back on, blaming the babe for stealing away his love. He could not bear to even look at the child, and so a wet nurse came and took the infant into her own home. Years later, when the King tried at last to visit his son, intending to move him back to the Castle, the child had disappeared.

"I grew up with the King; my father was his tutor. And my daughter, Sofia, became his Queen. The child, the disappeared child, was my grandson."

Peeta stared.

Minister Aurelius said, “The King’s son was named Peeta. That is your name as well, is it not?”

There was a heavy silence in the carriage while Peeta and Katniss absorbed this information.

The Minister cleared his throat. " It was my intention to wait until we had arrived at the Castle, but I feel some dread magic is upon us -- yes, at this very moment. So I must tell you now." He took a deep breath. "I remarked on it when I first laid eyes on you, standing so bold there in the middle of the King's Road. For a moment, I thought I was dreaming, or that I had been brought back in time to when the King was a young man. For you are very like, Peeta. Very like."

Still, Peeta was silent. The Minister was not even sure he had grasped the import of the Minister's words. The Minister thought: He is so young. But he will learn. I will teach him.

While the Minister was speaking, Katniss, unobserved, had crept closer to Peeta's ear. Her skin, the Minister noticed with a start, had changed color: from green to yellow. The Minister stopped, and stared. "Is she all right?" he asked Peeta.

Peeta took Katniss off his shoulder and placed her on his lap. "She feels cold, I think," Peeta said, stroking her gently. "She changes colors like that, all the time."

"The King's doctor, a very learned man, may be able to help your Katniss, Peeta," the Minister said, "He is from an island in the eastern sea and is a very learned man. He thinks the King has been cursed by some very powerful magic, and that once this magic has been identified, there may be a chance that the King will recover. Perhaps you would let him study Katniss -- "

Peeta cut him off. "No. He will hurt her," he said, cupping a protective hand over Katniss.

"No, never," the Minister said. "I would make sure I were present at all times to make sure she would come to no harm. But, of course, if you object – “ Minister Aurelius decided not to force the issue. “But,” he said, very slowly, “if, in the course of curing the King, we discover the spell that afflicts Katniss, the entire Kingdom, including you and Katniss, would benefit."

“I want nothing more than for Katniss to be restored to her original form. For there is no more beautiful maiden in the world. If you think this – this doctor – can help her, and if I can be present during his – his attempts, then of course, he should try.”

There was another silence. Finally, Peeta raised his eyes and looked at the Minister. "You're saying you think that I am, I am -- " he stopped abruptly.

"Yes, I believe you are the long-lost son of the King. No, it is more than a belief. It is a certainty. You are Prince Peeta, the rightful heir to his father’s kingdom."

Peeta shook his head. "No," he exhaled. "No, I can't be."

Katniss began to hop. Hop, hop, hop. Peeta looked down at her. He thought he saw fear in her eyes.


	22. THE CASTLE BY MOONLIGHT

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I had fun with this chapter. Still the same story line, but I filled out with more descriptive details.

The wind blew and blew, but the steady hand of the coachmen kept them on course. Eventually they arrived at the castle. The drawbridge was lowered and the carriage thundered across the moat and passed beneath the portcullis. As Peeta stared at the huge, looming edifice of the castle, his nerves were taught. He felt on the verge of tears, but swallowed them back so as not to upset Katniss.

He was the son of the King! It couldn't be! How could his Father have turned his back on him? How could he have caused his own mother's death?

Katniss could only cast worried glances at him and burrow deeper into his cupped hands. The Minister, very aware of Peeta’s anxiety, said, in the most soothing voice he could manage: "Sleeping quarters in the castle have been arranged. I trust you will find them comfortable.”

Outside, the dark-haired woman wrung her hands. It was past midnight and the King was long to bed. As the carriage came to a stop, at the center of a vast courtyard, servants rushed to greet them with lighted torches. The whole scene was a little too nightmarish for Katniss's and Peeta's taste.

The servants gave quite a start at the sight of Peeta: the old ones because they recognized in Peeta the features of a young King; the younger servants because they had never beheld anyone so handsome. Finally, they could not help but wonder at the young man's pet frog, which he held close to his chest, in his cupped palms, even as he alighted the carriage.

The Minister gave heartfelt thanks to the coachman and the footmen, who had made the journey with such skill and care. "You will be rewarded with an extra month's coin,” the Minister told them, and the men bowed gratefully.

The Minister led Peeta and Katniss inside, up a side stair, down a vast corridor, then up another set of stairs. The suite of rooms given to Peeta was larger than either Katniss or Peeta had seen before. The canopied bed at the far end was heaped with pillows, soft and white as snow. The walls were lined with bright sconces. A fire blazed in the hearth. Peeta’s nightclothes were warming on a stool by the fire.

“I hope it suits,” the Minister murmured.

“It suits . . . Thank you,” Peeta mumbled.

“Then I shall leave you to your rest,” Minister Aurelius said, and departed for his own rooms.

A maidservant inquired if Peeta required a bath. He declined, and she curtsied and left, but not before extinguishing the wall sconces – all except one by his bed, and another by a far window. Peeta walked straight to the window and looked out. Beneath, a long way off, was the moat. He could see the silvery moonlight glinting on the water. At that very moment, a cloud seemed to pass over the moon. Peeta chose then to go to bed. Drawing back the covers, he climbed in, and put Katniss on the pillow right next to his.

"It's all a dream, isn't it?" Peeta whispered softly to Katniss, as soon as they were alone. "What shall we do now?" He was very unhappy.

He stroked Katniss’s head and said, "As long as SHE remains out there, we are relatively safe inside the castle," he said. Katniss tried to be hopeful, but she was still anxious.

Unseen by either of them, Alma hovered outside, stretching her pale white arms towards the window. She watched as Peeta lifted the bedcovers and arranged Katniss on a pillow before slipping in beside her.

Alma hated the Castle. It was where she had lost her first, her only, love. When the King was a young man, he and Alma would wander its halls, hand in hand. They didn't know what bitterness awaited.

Peeta sighed as he pulled back the heavy quilt, embroidered with the Golden Lion. "What a long way we've come, eh, Katniss? Can this really be the end?"

IT'S THE END OF US, FOR SURE, Katniss thought. Her little frog heart seemed about to burst with sadness. Would she ever get back to her mother and sister? She missed them oh so much.

Peeta fell asleep almost as soon as his head touched his pillow, but Katniss remained staring into the dark, until it was almost dawn


	23. DEEP THOUGHTS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Worked on this chapter so long. I was in a Fairy Tale mood! Changes from the original story: Minister Aurelius visits his daughter's sarcophagus in the Royal Chapel, and Alma's name comes up towards the end (She tried to create dark mischief on the King's wedding day)

The Minister, exhausted though he was, could not sleep. At some point, he threw on a robe and walked through the silent, empty halls of the castle, going straight to the Royal Chapel, where lay the tomb of his daughter Sofia. The two guards assigned to keep guard at the entrance to the Chapel looked up in surprise. “It is only I,” the Minister said. “But let me – “ The guards let him through.

The stone sarcophagus lay just to the right of the main altar. The Minister knelt before it. “Sofia, Peeta is home now,” he murmured. “I have brought him home.”

He continued kneeling for a long time, thinking of his daughter, and how he had raised her to be loving and kind, and how he had rejoiced at her marriage to the King, and how long the years that followed her passing had been. Then he made his way back to his room and, much calmer, he put his head on his pillow and drifted off.

Alas, he had barely fallen asleep when he was awakened by a servant, announcing the King. In fact, the King strode straight through to Aurelius's sleeping quarters and the Minister had to hastily reach for his robe. Once he had done, he bowed and said, “Your Highness.”

Naturally, the King was not alone, he never was. At his side were two footmen. "Leave us," the King said, and the two footmen bowed deeply and backed slowly out of the room.

There were dark circles under the King's eyes. "Well?" he said impatiently. "How is he? How is my son?"

Aurelius rubbed his fists into his weary eyes. "Your Highness, you will soon see for yourself. I was going to bring him to you, but he was very tired and is no doubt still asleep."

The King made an impatient gesture. "I must see him immediately."

The Minister threw him a concerned look. "Your Highness, the boy is exhausted. He and his – friend -- must rest. Moreover, your first meeting should be -- calm."

The King said, “He is not alone? Who is his friend? The servants did not mention anyone – “

“Your Majesty, perhaps you should take a seat,” the Minister said.

“Tell me now!” the King cried. “Is it a man, or a woman? No, it must be a woman. He has a lover! Naturally. He is of an age.”

“Well,” Aurelius began, and then coughed. “A sort of woman.”

“What are you talking about? Is she a good woman or a bad woman? That is all that concerns me.”

“She is a good woman,” the Minister said.

The King grew visibly more relaxed. “She did not know who he was, yet she still took up with him. He must be a good-looking fellow! Like me!” He chuckled.

The Minister responded with a chuckle of his own, though it was somewhat less hearty.

"How did he seem to you?" the King asked. “Describe him.”

"His features are all you, Your Highness. The first I laid eyes on him, I was transported back 20 years." Aurelius’s voice shook on the last sentence. He could not help thinking how sad it was that the Queen, his daughter, had never gotten to see her son.

Aurelius had begged him not to send the infant away in that fraught time after the Queen had passed. But the King could not bear to look at the boy, who he blamed -- irrationally -- for the death of his wife. And, since the infant was his grandson, Aurelius had arranged for a good woman, a cousin, to take Peeta in. Imagine his horror when he heard the news that Peeta had been stolen from right under the good woman’s nose!

The King rubbed a hand over his face. Then, he sat on Aurelius's bed. "Did he say anything about his childhood? How he spent it? WHERE he spent it?" the King asked.

Aurelius shook his head. "He was quiet and did not seem inclined to share anything. This is all a great shock to him and we must not press him too much. All I learned was that he grew up in a forest, far from here. And that he was alone there for a very long time. Until the girl came."

“The same one he came with?”

"Yes," the Minister said. "I think you should know: your son is very much in love. Her name is Katniss."

"I must meet her!" the King demanded. "At once."

"There is a slight problem," Aurelius said. "She is not at present in her -- ah -- ORIGINAL form."

“Not in her ORIGINAL form?” the King cried. “What form is she in, then?”

“Your Majesty, she is suffering under some dark enchantment. At present, she is a frog.”

The King stared at his Minister for a long moment. Finally, he said, "Do you jest with me?"

"No, Your Majesty. I would never do that. There is dark magic afoot." The Minister paused. “I fear it is the work of Alma.”

“Alma!” At the mention of the name, the King turned very pale.

"I sensed it in the air, as we were returning to the Castle. The weather turned in an instant. A glorious day became miserable and blustery, all from the moment the boy set foot inside the carriage. Does not that remind you of what she did on your wedding day?”

The King now began to tremble. He had absolutely nothing to say, so the Minister continued. “But I kept him safe. I did not allow the coachman to stop. He drove us through the night, I do not know how. Perhaps his mother was watching over him."

"Yes," the King murmured softly, his eyes growing soft. "His mother, aware of the importance of your errand, was able to counter the evil that threatened. I have often thought I felt her. And never more so than on the day I announced I would search for him."

"Perhaps you are right," Aurelius said, tremendously moved. For Sofia was his daughter, and she was a good and devoted woman, who he was sure resided in Heaven with the angels.

"She was taken from me too soon," the King burst out in anguish.

"Yes," Aurelius said. "But now you have a son, and he knows nothing of his mother. Or, for that matter, of his father. All he has is Katniss."

"Katniss. Katniss," the King muttered. "A strange name. I have never heard it before. She is not from one of the old families."

Aurelius shook his head. "No, Your Highness. If she could speak -- there are many questions you and I would like to put to her. But she cannot speak. I gather Peeta resided in a forest, and that is where Katniss stumbled across him. She must be a peasant, for no lady wanders alone in a forest.”

"Yes, in truth," the King concurred.

"Your Highness, the same magic that turned Katniss into a frog also kept Peeta a captive, for many years.”

"What?" the King roared.

"And such is your son's devotion, that he refused to be parted from her. She sleeps with him now. In his bedchamber."

After this, the King insisted on being taken immediately to Peeta's bedchamber. The Minister knew he could not put the King off. So he hastily dressed, and then the King and the Minister, accompanied by sundry servants, proceeded to the suite where Peeta and Katniss had spent the night, never for a moment expecting the scene that met their eyes.

For, upon entering Peeta's room, they were greeted with mayhem. Peeta was angrily running about, dressed only in his sleep trousers, while a green frog (KATNISS, the King reminded himself) was jumping madly, and another frog, which in reality was probably a toad, since it was covered in warts, and was extremely ugly, shot evil looks at Katniss with blazing, red eyes.

"What is the meaning of this?" the King shouted.


	24. THE UGLY TOAD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Discovery of Alma

Everyone, even the Ugly Toad, was transfixed by the sight of the King.

Peeta fell to his knees immediately. Katniss hopped over to Peeta and cowered next to him. The Toad opened and closed its massive mouth, but uttered not a sound.

The King gazed at the tableaux before him with barely controlled emotion. He saw in Peeta's bowed head a boy in the fulness of youth. The sun falling on his golden hair seemed to set it afire. The King swallowed thickly. "Rise, my son," he said, in a gentle voice. Tears began to trickle down his face.

Peeta looked up, but did not move. He cast an uncertain look at the Minister.

"Do as His Majesty commands, Peeta," Minister Aurelius said.

Peeta lifted his head slowly. At that moment, the Ugly Toad, seeing that everyone was distracted by the King’s presence, hopped in Peeta's direction. Quick as a wink, Katniss shot forward. She grasped one of the Ugly Toad's hind legs in her wide mouth and, with surprising strength, began to drag it backwards. The King diverted his attention to the tussle.

"What -- How -- In God's name, who allowed this repulsive creature to gain entrance to the Castle? Aurelius, remove it at once."

Aurelius cleared his throat. Katniss was looking at him with smug satisfaction, a leg of the Ugly Toad still clamped firmly in her mouth.

"Now, now, Katniss," the Minister began.

Katniss chomped down. The Ugly Toad's ugly red eyes rolled into the back of its head.

Aurelius shrugged. "Your Majesty, it appears that Katniss has a personal beef with this Toad. Best to let them get on with whatever." Then he walked over to Peeta and helped the boy to his feet. He observed that Peeta was trembling and would not raise his eyes.

"Come here, boy, and let me have a look at you," the King said.

Aurelius helped Peeta forward.

"Raise your eyes," the King said.

Peeta turned beet red and kept his eyes on the floor.

“Peeta,” the Minister said, “When the King issues a command, you should obey it.”

Peeta slowly raised his eyes.

"You -- you have her eyes," the King gasped. “The eyes of my dearest, my Queen Sofia. Your mother. It is as if she lives again. In you.” He then clasped Peeta to himself, but Peeta remained stiff and unresponsive.

The King pulled back, still grasping Peeta by the shoulders.

"Speak, my son, why do you not speak?" the King asked.

Peeta raised his chin defiantly. "I have no mother. And no father, either. I was raised in a lonely cottage surrounded by tall, thorny hedges, in the middle of a Great Forest. And that is all I know.”

The King frowned. “Well, I am telling you now that I am your father. And you are Prince Peeta, the heir to my Kingdom.”

“SHE told me my parents were dead,” Peeta mumbled.

“Who is SHE?” the King asked.

Before Peeta could answer, there was a horrible sucking noise from a corner of the room, where Katniss and the Ugly Toad were continuing their struggle. Katniss was now sitting on top of the Ugly Toad, and chewing on a leg with a look of great satisfaction. Her skin was a rainbow of colors: first yellow, then green, then a brilliant orange. Everyone, the King included, could not help gazing at her in amazement.

“I never -- !” the King burst out.

Peeta gazed with apparent indifference at the rather brutal sight.

“Allow me to put that poor creature out of its misery,” Minister Aurelius said, coming forward. But Katniss gave a decisive jump – a vertical distance of almost a foot. She then landed down on the Ugly Toad’s back with a heavy thump. The Ugly Toad’s tongue came out and her eyes rolled backwards into her head.

“Leave her be!” Peeta said, and his voice was so commanding that both the King and the Minister stopped. “Katniss has much reason to hate that creature. For she is none other than the witch who enslaved me.”

The King gaped. “That – TOAD – is Alma? How came she to assume such a form?”


	25. WELCOME BACK, HUMAN KATNISS!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At last! Katniss is restored to her human form. Unfortunately, so is Alma.
> 
> This is the chapter where the story deviates from the original. There will be a public trial!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote the next two chapters at least a month ago. Re-reading Ch. 26 today, I saw that there was quite a bit of overlap with Ch. 25. So I cut the parts that felt they belonged more to Ch. 25, and added them here. The sections are mostly to do with Peeta's visceral reaction to seeing Katniss in human form.

Katniss sat there, chomping with great satisfaction at something that looked like a leg. She opened her mouth wider and it went down her gullet. Then she licked her lips.

The Ugly Toad lay gasping on the ground, minus a leg. Katniss hopped over and sat on its back.

The King turned an interesting shade and turned his head. "There is nothing more ungodly than an Ugly Toad," the King said. “It is twice as repulsive to know that – creature – is the witch who caused so much suffering to my family. Aurelius, please.” He gestured to the corner.

Aurelius said, in a gentle voice, “That is enough now, Katniss. She is no longer a threat.”

Katniss gave another decisive jump on the Ugly Toad’s back.

“Gods, she IS ugly,” the King said.

Peeta walked up to Katniss and stretched out his hands. Quickly, she hopped into them. He cradled Katniss close to his chest and kissed the top of her head.

Meanwhile, something very strange was happening to the Ugly Toad. She was flopping around, like a fish on dry land. Not only that, she was growing larger and larger and larger. And in fact, she looked less and less like an Ugly Toad, and more like a woman. A dark-haired woman. Peeta recoiled. “Alma!” he cried.

And in fact, it WAS Alma, a very naked Alma, lying curled up in the corner, her right arm dangling limp and useless and bloodied. She howled.

At the commotion, the guards who had been posted outside came running into the room, but they all stopped short at the sight of a naked woman, writhing in agony.

But hers was not the only transformation taking place. A very curious thing began to happen to Katniss. First her silver eyes opened wide. Then she blinked several times, very rapidly. Then she let her gaze travel the room. Then she began to shake her head. Then she opened wide her mouth, and her skin fell off!

In an instant, the frog had turned into a human girl, a girl with eyes like molten silver. And, like Alma, she was completely naked.

"Katniss!" Peeta cried. He lost no time in embracing her.

Both the King and Minister Aurelius and, yes, if you want to know, Peeta, AND the soldiers, stared in amazement, for Katniss was the most beautiful girl any of them had ever seen. Her skin was the color of honey, her hair was dark and flowed in waves down to her waist. Her torso was slender, her small breasts high and firm. Her legs were long and powerful.

Katniss stomped her foot. “Free at last!” she cried.

"You are so beautiful," Peeta murmured. "Even more beautiful than I remember."

Katniss and Peeta stared deeply into each other's eyes. Now that Katniss was back in human form, she was only half a head shorter than Peeta (or "Her Prince" as she'd come to think of him, in that possessive way all young girls have, even though for most of their acquaintance she had been a frog). She really had fallen in love with him, because from what she had seen of him in the past few months, he was kind and generous and affectionate. Not to mention, she had lived in his trousers for almost the whole time she was a frog (lol!). She now blushed at the recollection. Peeta's proximity was having quite a strange effect on her skin, so much so that she felt the room was as hot as an oven, even though it was early in the day and the stone floor gave off a soothing coolness. Suddenly, she didn't know what to do with her body.

A deep blush crept over Katniss's face, and down her throat, and into her chest. Of course, Katniss didn't believe she was beautiful, not for a moment.

The Minister had the presence of mind to pull a sheet from the bed and hand it to Peeta, who promptly wrapped it around her. Then, Peeta remained holding her, his arms encircling her waist.

Suddenly, Alma gave a tremendous wail. “Have mercy your Majesty!” she shuddered.

The King looked at her coldly. “It is you! You, the cause of all my misery.”

“No!” Alma gasped. “I never meant – “

Katniss now went to the King and knelt. “Your Majesty, that wicked creature took Prince Peeta and kept him for many years in a cottage in a far-away forest. She used her enchantment to keep him a prisoner there, surrounded by a mountain of brambles."

“And how came you to discover him, girl?” the King said.

“I was on my way home from the village. My mother and my younger sister and I lived at the edge of the forest. Since my fathe’s death, many years ago, I have provided for my family by hunting. On this one day, however, I lost my way in the forest. Luckily, I stumbled onto Peeta’s cottage, and was able to find a way through the brambles. That is how we met.”

"This -- repulsive creature -- toad -- whatever, was the person who kidnapped Peeta?" the King burst out.

"Yes, and she was trying to do it again this morning, only I woke up and stopped her," Katniss said. "I do not know how she managed to gain entry to Peeta's quarters."

"Oh!" the King said. Then, as if this was an afterthought. "Minister Aurelius, could you fetch the handmaidens and have them bathe and clothe Lady Katniss?"

"I'm no Lady!" Katniss said hotly. "I can fight!"

"Yes, I can see THAT," the King said, unable to hold back a smile. Meanwhile, Peeta could not take his eyes off Katniss.

"I'm not leaving Peeta," Katniss declared. "I don't need a bath. And I certainly don't need a handmaiden."

Alma moaned.

"Is she dying?" the King asked Minister Aurelius.

"I don't think so," Minister Aurelius said. “Though she will if she loses more blood.”

The King gestured to his guards. "Please take this creature to the dungeons. And call the Maester. He will bind up her wounds, and she can remain there until it is time for her trial.”


	26. HOW ALMA BECAME AN UGLY TOAD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Or, what Katniss found when she woke up early that morning . . .

Alma, writhing in the corner, made a horrible wailing sound.

"Careful, Peeta! Get back!" Katniss said, shoving Peeta behind her. "I'm not sure what she's still capable of."

“Aurelius,” the King bit out. “Have the guards take this one to the hospital, BUT IN CHAINS. She will be chained to the bed as well. Following her recovery, she shall her be conveyed to the dungeons, where we shall decide her fate.”

The Minister was very happy to follow the King’s instructions. He ordered two soldiers to carry Alma out of the room. No doubt her shrieks carried to the highest turrets.

Then, it was simply the King, Peeta, Katniss and of course the King’s guards in the room. Peeta’s face was a blank. Katniss moved closer to him and slipped her hand in his. The King moved his gaze from one to the other. He frowned.

“We have not yet been properly introduced to your friend, Peeta,” the King finally managed.

“This is Katniss,” Peeta said. “And she is more than a friend. She is the woman I intend to marry.”

* * *

And now we will have a flashback so that you can see how it was that Alma the witch became an Ugly Toad:

It was daybreak, and Katniss the Frog heard something in the room that made her ears prick (a frog's hearing is very keen). She had raised her head and glanced at Peeta, sleeping beside her. And, to her great consternation, Peeta was not alone. There was someone else in the bed with him, stroking his hair and caressing his mouth. We all know who That Someone was, but Peeta did not awaken. His breathing continued, deep and even. Katniss knew, that very instant, that he was under a spell, one from which he would never awaken unless she intervened.

PEETA! Katniss cried. Which came out as _Croak, croak!_

Naturally The Someone (whose face Katniss still could not see) ignored the little green frog and continued her wicked actions.

NOT SO FAST, Katniss practically screamed. I'M STILL HERE.

The Someone turned her head, and Katniss saw all her worst fears confirmed, for it was indeed Alma. "Are you still here? Haven't you learned anything these past few weeks? I can squash you like a bug," Alma hissed.

Katniss was despairing, yet determined. JUST YOU TRY, she thought.

Alma laughed. Her laugh was low, throaty, and rich. The laugh of someone who is supremely confident in her powers. "He is my Peeta," Alma said. "And he will always be my Peeta. Nothing you do will ever wrest him away from me again."

Katniss doubted herself for the first time. But she refused to give up. With a mighty effort, she jumped onto Alma's wicked face.

Alma laughed and swept her off quite easily. "Is that ALL you're capable of, Frog? Well, then, I can do what I like with him, and you will have to stay and watch."

GOOD GRACIOUS, Katniss thought. I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO SAVE PEETA, AFTER ALL.

Just then, from somewhere deep in the bowels of the castle, a chime began to sound. And then Katniss heard a woman's voice, clear as a bell, whispering to her: "Have courage, little one. The game is not yet over."

Katniss thought, HOW CAN I DEFEAT A WITCH? I AM BUT A FROG!

And the voice replied: "But you love him, do you not? And Peeta loves you, too! Never underestimate the power of love!"

YES, Katniss thought. I DO LOVE HIM. AND I WILL NEVER GIVE UP FIGHTING FOR HIM, NEVER!

She looked up at the bed, which was a great height from the floor, and saw that something like a tussle was taking place, for Peeta had awakened and appeared to be struggling with Alma. And then she heard him cry, "Where is Katniss? What have you done with her? Get away from me!"

Alma cursed like a fishwife, and extended her pale hands. As Katniss watched in horror, the witch's fingers grew impossibly long, and coiled themselves around Peeta's neck. Peeta gasped and tried to pry Alma's fingers off, but the witch only cackled and tightened her grip. "Steady, my boy," Alma hissed. "I could easily kill you BOTH for all the trouble you have caused me. But then, where would the fun in that be? No, I think I much prefer keeping you as a slave, and stealing you away right from under your noble father's nose."

As Katniss watched, Peeta's eyes widened. His skin began to turn blue. Katniss knew it was now or never. It seemed her frog sense of timing was absolutely perfect, for just as Alma's lips pulled back in a hideous grin, Katniss leapt at the witch and landed (completely by accident) just inside the witch's left ear. Katniss began to squirm with all her might.

"AAARRRGH!" Alma screamed, and loosened her grip on Peeta.

This only encouraged Katniss to burrow deeper and deeper into the witch's ear.


	27. AUTO DA FE IN THE SQUARE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: Public execution

Katniss read the brief note in her hand, which she found on the ledge of the window closest to the bed she shared with Peeta. Of course, no one should have known that she and the Prince shared a bed, as he had not yet been betrothed and his Royal Father had lined up an array of beauties for his perusal, and it was understood that Peeta was to choose one of the high-born ladies. Therefore, he was not supposed to be sharing a bed with anyone, and most especially not with Katniss.

  * TODAY AUTO DA FE IN THE MAIN SQUARE. Your presence is requested, as is that of His Grace, the Prince. Advise purple dress with pearl necklace (Look in the basket). And for once, no uncouth peasant behavior, please. -- Minister Aurelius



Only recently, Katniss had begun to learn to read. Peeta was teaching her. But she had never learned the word AUTO DA FE. If she had, she would have trembled mightily, for the words meant A BURNING AT THE STAKE.

Katniss had seen such important occasions (although she called them 'executions' and not 'auto da fe.') They attracted massive crowds, for aside from the sentencing judge, there were the guards, the street vendors with their arrays of caramel sweets and prickly tarts. She remembered the smell of sweat, bad breath, and dirty feet. But there was also the excitement of anticipation: everybody eating and chattering as they awaited the head separated from the body and rolling on the ground.

At that moment, she saw Peeta. He had just come from the bath. He was wearing a perfumed shirt adorned with lace and a pair of leather boots so shiny that they looked as if they were lacquered.

"Peeta," Katniss said, "Do you know what an AUTO DA FE is?"

Peeta nodded, slowly. "It is a public execution."

Katniss grew pale. "Do not be angry, but I do not think I wish to witness this," she said.

"And why not?" Peeta asked.

"It sets my teeth on edge."

"That is not reason enough," Peeta said, coming closer and taking her hand. "It is Alma they are burning at the stake. Surely you knew that. All the nobility in the Kingdom will be there, and maybe even some from the next kingdom over. I have to be present. And so do you, Katniss."

Katniss was about to say something, but Peeta had already gone out the door. Katniss bit her lip. Since returning to his father's castle, Peeta had become more confident, and issued orders more readily. Though this was not a change she had anticipated, Katniss assumed it was a natural development. He was a Prince, after all. But now, this. She did not want to submit to this order. But he had already left the room, without trying to persuade her. Could she pretend she was ill?

She closed her eyes and saw . . . Alma. Alma in her human form, beautiful and seductive, dressed in a white robe, her hair hanging free down her back, almost to her waist. But this Alma had two horns on her head and a long ass's tail coming out from under the robe, the tail ending in a forked point. Aaah! Katniss forced herself to open her eyes. Peeta was standing at the door to their room, staring at her. Just behind him, she saw, was Delly, her maid. "Delly can help you dress," Peeta said.

* * *

A large scaffold had been set up in the middle of the square. Alma stood, wearing only a thin, white shift, her arms bound behind her back. Two soldiers, one on each side, assisted her to mount the wooden steps of the scaffold. She was barefoot, her face twisted in a bizarre grimace. Close behind was a bearded priest, whose large, dirty feet were encased in leather sandals.

There was a wooden post above a pile of chopped logs. The soldiers bound Alma to the post. Then, two men appeared with lighted torches and approached the pile of wood. It took some minutes before the wood caught flame.

Katniss could not look at Alma's face. Instead, she looked at Peeta's, which was very pale, but also very calm. He did not look at her, but he gave her hand a comforting squeeze. White smoke began to waft over the heads of the spectators.

Then, suddenly, there it was: the acrid smell of burning wood. Katniss's belly began to twist. Could she really stay until the very end?

Suddenly, in her ear she heard a voice. It was a gentle woman's voice. _Do not be afraid, Katniss_ , the voice said. _Imagine these flames as flowers flying through the air, imagine the smoke as mist rising from the mountains. And look at Peeta, how calm he is, despite having suffered so much._

Katniss looked up. It so happened that Alma was looking straight at her. Now, a soldier came up and set a burning torch to Alma's hair. Her head was lit now, as if with a crown of fire. The crowd began to cheer. Katniss turned away. She looked, instead, at Peeta, whose mouth was open, as if he were on the point of speaking. But his gaze never wavered. He kept his eyes on the burning center of the square, he watched it burn until there was nothing, until his hair grew damp with sweat from being so close to the heat of the blaze. Katniss looked away and saw the King, seated on a handsome golden chair upholstered in purple velvet, on a dais across the square. Next to him stood Minister Aurelius, and next to Minister Aurelius were the justices who had tried and condemned Alma, severe in their black robes.

As the crowd continued to cheer, Katniss saw the King bend forward, his wrinkled neck stretched tight, his face rigid. Was that a look of horror on his face, or was it satisfaction?


	28. FINE LADIES

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: Towards the end, some mention of torture, extremely bad stuff.

After the auto da fe, Katniss was quiet and brooding.

Peeta noticed at once.

"What pleasure is there in seeing someone burn?" Katniss muttered. Even though she knew Alma was wicked, she pitied her much in the moment of her death. The other thing she worried over was the King's announcement of a banquet, to which all the finest lords and ladies in the kingdom were invited.

"I hate these things," Katniss muttered.

"But there will be cakes," Peeta laughed, grabbing Katniss's hand and pressing a kiss to it. Katniss snatched her hand away.

"Be serious, Peeta. I do not need cakes. Perhaps I shall not attend."

"But you must!" Peeta protested, his eyes growing round. "Or I shall not attend." Then he tried to kiss her, as he was always trying to do these days. But Katniss continued sullen and pushed him away.

She knew very well what the banquet was for, though she didn't say outright to Peeta. She knew she must put on a dress, and allow Delly to put up her hair. But even then, she would never be a lady. And in the meantime, there would be all those fine ladies, all vying for Peeta's hand . . . What was the king up to? Perhaps she should go away.

When she was alone, she looked at her face in the mirror, and tried to discover some beauty, but there was none. Sometimes she gazed at the portrait of Peeta's late mother which hung above Peeta's bed. It was a full-length portrait. She wore an old-fashioned, high-waisted dress, with antiquated lace sleeves threaded with gold. A shiny ribbon was wound around her mass of golden hair. On her delicate feet, she wore embroidered slippers with pointed toes.

Katniss was stunned by her beauty. Then she would knot her fingers in her own tangle of dark hair, and despair over ever being worthy of Peeta, and tried to plan her departure from the castle. But every time she tried to think of it, she began to shake. She simply could not do it. She would be at Peeta's side until forced to leave, probably thrown out by the King. She was sure it would happen. She did not see the spirit that moved into the room, that hovered just above her head. It was the late Queen, of course. But Katniss could not hear her because of the voice coiling in her head, the one that told her she was not worthy.

In the meantime, the King was trying his best to be patient. There were all kinds of matters that he had to deal with (even though they were distasteful to him, like bringing down the price of grain -- a revolt had begun two years ago on this very same grievance). He was saved at the last minute by the intervention of the Dukes of the Realm. And then the King, who was a very touchy person to begin with, began to have certain suspicions about people who were always around the court, so he had a number of them arrested. He even had some of them tortured with red-hot irons. He beheaded one of them, who was only 25 years old. The rest he kept in prison and refused to release them until they paid out large sums of money.

To make things worse, the King had decided to celebrate the return of his son with a huge banquet. Minister Aurelius worried that it would bankrupt the Kingdom, what with the cost of food, wine, and candles. But the King wanted it to be a banquet that everyone in the Kingdom would remember for its magnificence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peeta is not perfect; neither is the King.
> 
> Everlark forever.


	29. THE BANQUET

The banquet could not have been more splendid. All the Kingdom's Lords and Ladies attended. The Ladies were dressed in long trains and voluminous skirts, their satin and silk light as butterfly's wings, their hair wrapped in gold and silver nets studded with pearls. There were so many feathers, gloves, flowers, pearl-studded slippers, and plush coats to look at that it made Katniss dizzy. The meal itself consisted of twenty courses, among which were: fish cooked in wine, hare in a sour sauce, boar with chocolate, and roast suckling pig. Between one course and the next, crystal goblets were filled with wine.

Peeta looked every inch a Prince, wearing breeches and jacket in chestnut brown threaded with gold, and pointed shoes whose silver buckles were studded with real diamonds. Katniss looked at him and could not take her eyes off him.

One by one, the ladies at court were introduced to him, and executed a deep curtsey.

Katniss had chosen to wear a simple dress, and was determined to make a quick exit. She was bothered by the number of high-born ladies who vied for Peeta's attention. One in particular, who wore a lace-covered gown festooned with lilac ribbons, who sat next to Peeta at dinner. Peeta and this lady were continually looking at each other and laughing at every trifle.

"I used to live in a forest," she overheard Peeta telling the lady. "It was guarded by a tower of brambles. My only companions were my books."

"Oh, do tell me more!" the Lady implored.

Suddenly, Peeta bent across the table and caught Katniss's glance. "I was saved by this lady," Peeta said, looking intently into Katniss's eyes. He reached across the table and caught her hand in his. Katniss flushed with embarrassment and snatched her hand back. After, she became light-headed and could not taste a single morsel that she put into her mouth.

She was also confused by the great amount of cutlery around her plate: two forks, two spoons, two knives, and a little spoon that looked like it could only scoop up, at the most, three peas. Fortunately, after that little interlude, Peeta's dining companion was able to demand Peeta's undivided attention and Katniss was left in peace. To her left was a young man who seemed quite affronted to have been seated next to her. Every time Katniss attempted to draw him out, he would glance witheringly at her and turn his head away. So then she had nothing to do but watch Peeta, who seemed more animated than she had ever seen him. How she wished she could be back with her family in their little cottage at the edge of the forest! Then, though her clothes were poor and she was barefoot most of the time, she had never been so happy. Now and then, Peeta tried to catch her eye, but she refused to give him an opening.

In the middle of it all, the King started to sob, because he remembered his late wife. No one had ever seen him weep, not even when the infant Peeta disappeared. And now that his son was returned, he wept as if his heart was broken.

When the banquet was over, Peeta came up to her and stroked her cheek affectionately, a look of apology in his beautiful eyes. But she turned coldly away from him. Delly, her maid, accompanied her to her rooms to help her to undress. When Katniss was in her shift, Delly asked if Katniss wished her to brush her hair. Katniss declined, but afterwards she wished she had accepted Delly's offer because it would have been nice to have the cheerful girl stay, even if Katniss did not really understand half the things Delly went on about.


	30. PRINCE PEETA

Minister Aurelius was very perturbed when he received the bills from the banquet. The bill for the tapers alone were equivalent to a whole year of candles at the cathedral. And the King had insisted on new tablecloths (lace, of course) and he also thought the time had come to re-decorate the castle grounds and had added an artificial lake, and several stone fountains. Here the guests wandered to walk off the bloated feeling of a twenty-course meal, so it was all as magnificent as could be. Yet Minister Aurelius, in his prudence, who would have been happy to simply spend the day chatting with Peeta in the shade of a tree, did not like the way the King was indulging. He had also noticed that Peeta's companion, the peasant girl, had been very quiet lately, often retreating by herself to the orchard (when the Prince was occupied, which happened more and more often).

Prince Peeta, however, was a perfect joy. Every day, it seemed to Minister Aurelius, he grew more handsome. He was extremely patient with Katniss, and was teaching her to read and write. Minister Aurelius had even observed Katniss practicing writing out a few words and phrases, in large, looped handwriting.

Katniss was beautiful, but he knew the King had his heart set on Prince Peeta marrying a member of the nobility. In particular, the King favored Lady Cashmere, whose dowry would include twenty estates. In fact, the King was already secretly planning Prince Peeta's wedding for September (only seven months away) and he had already instructed Minister Aurelius to begin the preparations, because a royal wedding feast could last no fewer than nine days, and every night had to end with fireworks.

Minister Aurelius could not help remembering when his own daughter Sofia had married the King. There had been a fireworks display the likes of which the Kingdom had never seen. The fireworks had been provided as a wedding present by the Master Weavers, the Master Grooms, and the Master Cheese Vendors.

And then afterwards, at the birth of the Prince, how happy they had all been. After the official proclamation by the Royal Herald, there were more festivities, more fireworks, more celebrations, all over the Kingdom:

LONG LIVE PEETA, THE NEW-BORN SON OF THE KING AND HIS BELOVED QUEEN SOFIA.

In the castle, there was a solemn mass, followed by jousts, balls, horse races, processions.

Would it be the same for the marriage of Prince Peeta? Minister Aurelius could see the whole taking shape in the King's imagination. But when he looked at the countenance of his grandson, the Prince, the Minister could already see the beginnings of a frightening detachment, a tendency to brood . . .

The Minister wished he knew what Peeta was truly thinking. Over the years, the Minister had prided himself on his insight into others. But now the boy seemed stern, and when the Minister attempted to talk to him, he deflected him with easy conversation about matters of little consequence (He did indeed have the makings of a good King, the Minister thought)

Now, there was an endless parade of people coming up to the Prince, bowing and scraping. The Prince was patient, but there were a few occasions when he turned his head aside and the Minister saw on the young man's face a look of distaste. _He longs to be elsewhere,_ the Minister thought. _God help him! It is too much: the duties, the responsibilities. How will he cope? Will he impose new taxes, as the King his father likes to do, every few years? His mother, the Queen, used to tend to the sores of beggars . . ._

It was all the fault of that harlot, that witch, she who must never be named. She wanted the King all to herself, and when she couldn't have him, she took the son. Damn her, for 16 years, she forced the King (and Aurelius, too) to swallow bitterness. She got the best of the King, in the end.


	31. A PRINCE

Suddenly, the Minister felt himself become very short of breath. He put both hands up to his collar. The throne room seemed to have a musty smell. He made a quick bow to the King, who hardly noticed, and hurried out to the courtyard, where he wished to collect his thoughts. And he saw her. He saw Katniss. She was not dressed in the usual court attire, but in the brown peasant garb she wore when she first came to the castle. Her hair hung in a long braid down her back. She was looking somewhere far off, seemingly lost in thought, but she must have felt the Minister's eyes on her; she turned. The Minister was stunned by the look of despair on her face; it made him quite sick at heart. If she were his daughter, he would comfort her. In the next instant, the despair was gone from the girl's face, replaced by a look of absolute exhaustion, of dumb weariness.

The Minister knew Katniss would leave. But when? It was plain to anyone paying attention, she'd had enough.

"Katniss!" the Minister said, coming forward with a smile on his face. "What are you doing out here?" He came forward and rested both hands on her shoulders, as if they were old friends. He had about a foot on her in height, the difference in stature might have cowed a lesser woman. Not Katniss, however. She looked defiantly up at him and it was as if he could almost trace the arc of her thoughts, torn between lying and not lying. _Although, it would be to your benefit not to lie to me, Katniss_ , he thought. _I am Peeta's grandfather, after all_. Katniss stood motionless, as if debating the cost to herself of a lie.

Suddenly, he heard someone shout the girl's name and Peeta came flying out of a side door to the courtyard. He looked frantic, and afraid, and the Minister wondered whether he and Katniss had already had the conversation, the one about her leaving, and now here was his grandson, the Prince, trying to get his love to change her mind.

"Shall we proceed to the library?" the Minister said, putting an arm around each of them. "There is a very interesting book I have been wanting to show both of you."

* * *

Lady Cashmere's father sent word that he and his daughter would be visiting the castle. Then Katniss bitterly regretted her decision to stay. On the day the Lady and her father were due to arrive, she tried pretending to be ill. Peeta himself came to her room and said, "I know you are not ill. Stop playing these games."

"I have nothing to wear," Katniss said.

"I shall send you any number of fine gowns," Peeta said.

Katniss gaped. Was Peeta really so unaware? "Peeta, whatever happens between you and Lady Cashmere, you must leave me out of it."

"But why?" Peeta said, frowning.

"Because, what on earth would that do? We cannot marry. Your father the King would never permit it."

"But I love you," Peeta insisted.

"Do NOT say that to your father," Katniss said.

"And why not?" Peeta said. "I don't want him to have false hope. You are the only woman I will consent to marry, and that's an end to it."

"But then," Katniss said, "why is he having Lady Cashmere visit? I do believe he wants her for you."

"I am only humouring him," Peeta said. "He will see soon enough that I can't marry her."

"But why can't you marry her?"

"Because I'm in love with you."

And on and on the argument went, as every argument had gone before.


	32. ROYAL PLANS

Lady Cashmere and her father arrived. She was a beautiful woman, and held her head very high as she entered the castle. Prince Peeta and the King met her in the throne room. Peeta politely kissed the lady's hand. Katniss, who was hiding behind a pillar, felt the most miserable pang of jealousy. The Prince had to play along with his father, at least for now. Now, more than ever, Katniss realized the folly of not listening to her heart when it had told her to go.

The King gave a festive dinner to the new arrivals, and Peeta was surprised when, coming into Katniss's room before dinner, he found her in bed, curled up under a mound of blankets.

"What is the matter?" Peeta said, instantly concerned.

"I am not well," Katniss murmured. "I cannot attend the dinner."

"Shall I send a nurse? Or call for Delly?" Peeta said. "I must attend the dinner, but I will find an excuse to leave early."

"No, Peeta, do not do that," Katniss said. "You must go, and get to know these visitors. I shall be quite all right."

Peeta leaned over and kissed the top of Katniss's head, which was the only thing showing from under the heap of blankets.

Katniss waited until she was sure he was not coming back, then threw off the bedclothes impatiently.

Peeta entered the banquet room. The first thing he saw was his father, seated at the head of the table, on a gilt chair lined with brocade. To his right sat Lady Cashmere, dressed all in white, a blue scarf wound around her head. For a moment, Peeta thought he was still asleep, in the bed with Katniss, and that this was all a dream.

He was announced and walked slowly, carefully, to the head of the table. There was an empty seat next to Lady Cashmere, and this was where the King indicated he was to sit. Peeta sat, wishing for all the world he had chosen to stay with Katniss in her room.

Minister Aurelius, who was seated on the King's other side, had known not to expect Katniss, but he had also not expected to see this very hesitant and unsure Prince. This would be an important match -- if the Prince chose to make it -- and would bring all manner of riches to the Kingdom: gold, money, arms. As if to impress this point, the Lady had dressed for dinner in a gold gown and a matching gold wig.

If Katniss must be sent away, it must happen soon, the Minister decided. It was for the best. She did not appear to be the type to make a scene, but she had a way of surprising him. For instance, just a day earlier, he had gone to the tomb of Queen Sofia, and upon uttering a short prayer, bent over to kiss the stone feet of the effigy of the Queen that decorated the top of her tomb. Turning, finally, to go, he had been amazed to see Katniss sitting in a pew behind him. The chapel was an oppressive place, filled as it was with the sarcophagi of the King's forebears. Here were Kings and Queens, Princes and Princesses, and their various cousins, Dukes and Duchesses. There were only a few wall sconces to light the gloomy interior. Of course there were ghosts. The Minister himself had seen a handful. But never the ghost of his beloved daughter, for which he grieved much.

Minister Aurelius gave acknowledgment of Katniss's presence with a brief nod. She nodded in return, then her gaze quickly shifted to the sarcophagus of the Queen. "She was so beautiful," Katniss murmured, her voice full of awe. The Minister glanced back over his shoulder at the Queen's tomb. And suddenly, an image rose before him, of his daughter as a little girl. She had long eyelashes, fair hair, eyes blue as a robin's egg, a high forehead, and ringlets of golden hair. And now here she was. It was cruel.

"I think I hear her sometimes," Katniss whispered. "She is a great comfort to me."

The Minister was greatly surprised by this confession, and the surprise must have shown on his face, for in the next moment she said, "It is perhaps simply a trick of an over-fertile imagination. She would have been a wonderful mother to Peeta."

For a moment, the Minister thought of correcting her: She should be Prince Peeta to him. But he decided to still his tongue. After all, she was heartbroken enough. He bowed, a little more formally, and continued out.

Peeta and Lady Cashmere went out riding the next day. While the Prince was not as good a horseman as others who had grown up in court, he had steadily been improving.

Before he and Lady Cashmere set out, he went to Katniss's room to check on her.

"Katniss? How are you feeling?" he asked, going up to the bed.

She kept her head under the blankets. "Not so good," she muttered.

"I'm sorry to hear. Listen, I have to entertain our guests for a bit, but I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Don't worry, Peeta," Katniss said. Her voice did sound a bit hoarse, Peeta thought. "I'll send Delly to stay with you."

"No!" Katniss said. "That won't be necessary. I just need to sleep."

While Prince Peeta and Lady Cashmere were out riding, Minister Aurelius requested an audience with the King. His Majesty agreed to meet Minister Aurelius in the throne room. Now, the King glared balefully as he watched the Minister approach, his ring-encrusted hands folded over his increasingly prominent belly. The King knew very well what kinds of thoughts had been plaguing his Minister of late.

The Prince and Lady Cashmere returned from their ride. Grooms ran forward as they dismounted from their horses. Both the Lady's and the Prince's countenances were glowing from being out in the fresh air. As they walked away from their mounts, the Prince said something to Lady Cashmere that made her throw back her head and laugh. The grooms who heard it smiled slyly at each other. It seemed the Prince would respect his father's wishes and marry a noblewoman.

That night, Lady Cashmere was escorted to the dining hall by the Prince. She was wearing an elegant gown with a low, scooped-out neckline, a shining sapphire cross dangling enticingly between her breasts.

The brush Delly was using on Katniss's hair had been dampened with orange-flower water, and smelled surpassingly sweet. "So much dust, Mistress!" Delly murmured reprovingly. "The orange-fower water is finished; I shall fetch more!" She hurried out.

When she was sure she was alone, Katniss raised her eyes hesitantly to the looking glass. Lately, something odd had been happening there: a shadow would come into the right-hand top corner and then dissolve. She would glance quickly behind her at the window, her forehead wrinkled in a frown. Eventually, tired of waiting for Delly to return, she got up, lit a candle, put on her slippers, and stole out the room. The corridor was dark and the old stone walls breathed of musty history. She remembered summer in the countryside with her family.


End file.
